Vampyre Nation True Bloodthirst: Modern Arcana
by iEvenstarEstel
Summary: After the events of the film called "True Bloodthirst" in the USA & "Vampyre Nation" in the UK (2012) starring Andrew Lee Potts, chaos reigns in Sector 5 and Johnny Harker is alone in the fight against the vampires. Trapped and injured, he is rescued by a mysterious woman who may prove to be both his salvation and his damnation.
1. Chapter 1

_Much like with Andrew's appearance on Doc Martin and my fic "The Gypsy", I've followed up "True Bloodthirst" with a fic. Like Michael, poor Johnny was alone without a love of his own, so this is my remedy. I hope you enjoy :) _

True Bloodthirst: Modern Arcana  
2012 Evenstar Estel

_Henceforth, choose to stare  
Love and Death in the face  
And be cast to a tumultuous sea  
Oblivion bound on a swift-sailing ship  
Thus allusive quest, fates harmony_.

Chapter 1

The last bullet emptied from the clip of his Desert Eagle in his right hand and Harker snarled. Four more shots from the gun in his left hand and he'd be out of bullets. There were just too many vampires. He holstered the one gun and aimed with the left, catching three vamps with three bullets, but missing the last one. He was no coward, but with at least a dozen more coming out of the shadows to share the feast, retreat was the smart option. He bolted down the alley, kicking at doors as he went, searching for any escape before the hoard caught up with him and he knew that was mere seconds away.

In the blink of an eye he was off the ground and flying through the air as one caught up with him, then first his back and then his skull impacted with the brick wall of the building. He lost his breath and gasped for air. His last thoughts were that he shouldn't be going out like this, that he should've had back up, should've had his team with him, but he was alone and in a few moments he'd be sucked dry and his body left to rot in the street like all the others. His last sight however, was not the gleam of razor sharp fangs, but of a soft face with fine feminine features. There was a loving caress to his stubbled cheek and a lilting voice telling him not to be afraid. His vision blurred and he was hit with a wave of nausea before the black of a thick woolen cloak engulfed him and he lost consciousness.

!*!*!

Harker groaned as the first sensations of wakefulness began to spark behind his eyes. Every part of him ached and his head was pounding. The solid hammering of his blood in his veins echoed between his ears and his stomach gurgled. He rolled over to his side just as he brought up what little was in his stomach. He sputtered and coughed and whimpered as pain flared in his back and chest. He jerked away when a cool, moist cloth was swept across his mouth, but he still couldn't yet force his eyes to open. He collapsed back and somewhere in the fog became aware that he was laying on a bed and the mattress beneath him was soft. The sheets smelled fresh, and he hoped he hadn't thrown up on them. Someone was washing his face and then pressing the rim of a glass against his lips. He took a few sips of water, but his throat still burned. The wet cloth caressed over his neck and chest, wiping away the sick and the sheen of sweat that had broken out over his body. When the coolness came in contact with his abdomen he jolted, both from the unexpected sensation and the realization that he was half naked. He tried to sit up again, but a gentle hand pushed him back down.

"Not yet, you'll make yourself sick again," spoke the woman, her voice light and soothing to his ears. She definitely had an English accent. "You've likely been concussed and I think maybe you've cracked your ribs, possibly your spine. Don't move, not until I say so."

"Yeah, sure," Harker sighed, not yet in full command of all his faculties.

"Just relax, you're safe."

"Urmph..." He did as he was told and lay in his dazed state while what he hoped was a beautiful woman tended to him. He was still for some time as she bathed him. Her hands were feather light across his skin, none of her touch aggravating his injuries, of which he was pretty sure there were many. When her hands reached his belt buckle he stalled her, taking her hands away.

"Not until we've at least been introduced!" he joked. He opened his eyes to a nearly black room, save for light coming from a few candles burning in one corner. There were no windows, only stone walls and furniture. He was pretty sure they were in a crypt of some sort and a few moments later, pretty sure he was with a vampire. She moved swiftly away from him, over to the far side of the room, turning her face into the shadows. He looked for his guns, but saw no sign of them. He sat himself up and fought back the roiling of his stomach.

"Please don't, you'll only hurt yourself," she pleaded, turning back to him, arms outstretched. He searched blindly for a weapon and immediately she backed away again, diminishing into the shadows.

"Let me out of here!" he snarled as he staggered to his feet. His boots and socks were missing and his legs trembled violently as he tried to find his balance. Failing, he sunk back to the bed and swooned. She was there a second later, easing him back to the bed and laying the cold compress to his forehead.

"You're not a prisoner, but you must listen to me. You're injured, you're ill. If you leave now they'll come upon you like swarm. Rest, sleep. You're in no danger from me. None at all. I have no desire to see any harm come to you."

"You're a vamp..." He brought his hand up to his face and winced, pure unadulterated pain exploding behind his eyes.

"Please be still, and don't be obstinate. I give you my word I'll not harm you. I only want to help."

"Why?" He opened his eyes and squinted. It took a minute, but he focused his eyes, finally able to make out her features in the dim candlelight. If he was going to be sucked dry by a vampire, at least it was going to be by a really gorgeous one. She was small, slight and fine, like a little doll. Her nose was darling and her lips just full enough to tease with a nip of the teeth. Her cheeks were high, but beneath were the makings of adorable dimples if she smiled. The line of her chin to her jaw practically begged to be held, but it was her eyes that stopped his heart. Their colour was the icy, reflective blue that all vampires changed to once they were turned, but hers spoke of more. They were bright and full of emotion, completely captivating and beautiful. He stared at her and she at him and for a moment, he was lost. She reached out to touch his face, but her skin did not connect with his. A sense of déja vu rushed over him, but he shook it away and came back to the present. "Have we met before? I think I've seen you before. At Nikolai's club?"

She drew back from him and sighed. "I was there when you and the policeman came in, though I did not stay. You looked at me when you moved through the crowd... but I could not remain. The others, those things were coming and I was frightened."

"Smart move, it got pretty hairy pretty fast." He paused and took a few breaths, pushing down the nausea once more. He'd had a few concussions in his life and knew he was in for a long recovery before he'd be in fighting form again. Being locked up in the room with a vampire, even a pretty one, didn't suit him. He didn't trust her any further than he could throw her. But at the present, he couldn't even stand up and therefore had no choice but to do as he was told and buy himself enough time. "So how come the rescue? I was about to be the main course at dinner."

"I..." She stopped, and he watched as she gathered herself and chose her words. "Do you not remember me? From another time?" He shook his head and was confused by the look of disappointment that came over her face. She pushed a strand of her short cropped hair behind her ear. He wasn't sure in the dim light, but it might've been red. He'd always had a thing for redheads. "I looked for you again and found you tonight. They were going to take you, but I couldn't let them."

"And again, I'm asking why?"

"Because I believe in fate and that you were not meant to die this night. I carried you away, I was just quick enough."

"Well, thanks for that, honey, but as for the crap about fate? Spare me."

"As you wish. I try and choose my words carefully, I'm not always good at speaking my intentions. Be content that I don't want you to die, John Harker."

His face darkened and he scowled angrily at her. "No one calls me that. Harker or nothing, got it?"

Startled by his ire she rose from the bed and back against the wall. "My apologies!" she gasped, recoiling from the venom in his words.

"Shit! Sorry. Sorry, okay?" He felt guilty to have caused such a response from her. For a vampire, she didn't have much of a backbone. "No one's been allowed to call me John for a good ten years and I don't like it when someone does."

"I did not know. I will not do so again. I am sorry." She sunk down to the floor and brought her knees up to her chest. He studied her, noting the strange fact that she wore a gown instead of something practical like denim or leather. Covered in lace and satin, she was the picture of a very out of place little lady. Perhaps out of another time. "What's your name? Should know who saved my life, shouldn't I?" She smiled and he'd been right, there were dimples in those pale cheeks of hers.

"I was born Wilhelmina Murray, but I should be grateful if you called me Mina."

"Nice to meet you, Mina Murray. Please don't suck my blood when I'm passed out..." And with that he was gone, having spent far more energy than he had reserves. Mina crawled over to him, shaking slightly as she cupped his cheek. She traced her fingertips over the plains of his face and committed it to her memory, letting it overshadow the face from the past. After all these years, more than a century, she'd finally found him again. She leaned over him and brushed her lips across his.

"I'll keep you safe this time. I'll not lose you again, my love."

!*!*!

When Harker next came to he felt rather warm and relaxed. He was still in bed, but now under the blankets and decidedly naked. He smirked to himself, wondering if the little redheaded vampire had taken a look as his goods. His ribs had been wrapped tightly with tensor bandages and felt considerably less painful. His numerous cuts and scrapes at been cleaned and had scabbed over. He still had a headache, but the pillow was lush and so was the duvet. He cracked open an eye and spied his caretaker sitting in the armchair in the corner of the room. She was reading a book and a smile crept across her pretty face.

"Hello, Harker," she spoke, turning the page.

"Damn vamp," he muttered.

"The rhythm of your heartbeat as well as your breathing changes when you wake," she explained. "Are you hungry? I have food for you."

"God yes! I'd kill for a cheeseburger!"

"I'm afraid it's nothing like that. My apologies. While you slept I ventured out to search for what was needed to help you heal. It's become rather dire and to be honest with you, what few human beings dwelt within Sector 5 have been killed or taken. I went into their homes and took what I thought would be useful."

Harker sat himself up and silently cursed that the only light were her three candles burning in a stone alcove. He breathed in deeply and felt a faint draft hit his face from above. The air wasn't stale. That was a good sign, it meant they weren't too far under the city.

"Scavenging, good skill to have." He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned as he rolled his neck on his shoulders.

"Shall I fetch your supper?" She was on her feet and already on the move before he had a chance to reply. She moved through the shadows and he guessed into another room as he heard the echo of her movements and the sound of a bottle being uncorked. She glided back into the room with a wooden cutting board in her hands upon which was a loaf of whole grain bread, a wedge of cheese and an apple along with a glass of wine. She placed the board on the bedside table and smiled at him as she backed away.

"Wine, uh? Are you trying to get me drunk?"

"In Bucharest, wine is easier to come by than water sometimes. I'm sorry the bread is stale, but it's not begun to mold yet."

"S'fine, thanks." He tucked into his meal, grateful for it. "You said it's dire out there? Tell me what's happening? You don't have a tv I take it?"

She shook her head. "The vampires refuse to drink the synthetic blood for fear of its contamination. None wants to become those wretched beasts that hunted and killed us all. Those who aren't able to find willing humans to drink from have gone on the hunt. The police have stopped trying to keep the peace and merely work to keep all contained within Sector 5. The humans are nearly all gone and the vampires grow ever more hungry. I told you that I'm not keeping you prisoner, but for your own safety, especially in your weakened state, I implore you to remain here."

Harker stopped eating and took a gulp of wine. "I can't stay here forever. I'm not your pet human."

She did that thing again, that thing where she seemed to shrink in on herself as if she'd been caught doing something bad and expected to be punished for it. Harker hated seeing a woman be weak and he also hated that when this one did it, it evoked empathy. He really hated playing nice with a vampire, and he hated a _nice_ vampire even more. He scowled and kept eating, crunching into the apple and chewing loudly. Mina remained silent, returning to her chair, folding her hands in her lap and keep her eyes cast downwards.

"Don't suppose you have more light to you? Kinda messes with my head to be in the dark," he asked, finishing off the last of the food. She nodded and disappeared again. He saw the room beyond his come to life with illumination and she returned with a kerosene lamp that brightened the room considerably. In one seamless motion she took away the board she'd brought his dinner on and placed the lamp beside him. "Thanks. And where is here exactly?"

Mina set the tray on the small table beside her chair and took her seat again. "We're under the church of St. Vetranion, do you know it?"

He nodded his head. "Didn't know vamps hid out here, thought it was too exposed." The church was falling apart and offered little shelter from the sun. Furthermore there wasn't a tree or building around for miles to offer any protection from the sun. It was exposed and an unlikely place for a vampire to be living. Though it was untrue that vampires were repelled by religious iconography, most of them shunned anything to do with it.

"There's no one else around for miles, you're quite safe."

"Safe as I can be with a vampire." He immediately regretted his words. Her face twisted up, looking every bit like she was trying not to burst into tears. This vulnerable, wounded little bird thing she was doing was really getting under his skin. The problem was, he could tell she wasn't faking it or putting on airs to appear less dangerous to him. Whatever her story was, she wasn't like ninety-nine percent of the vampires he knew. He didn't know whether that was that a good thing or a bad one. He sighed and pushed down the pangs of guilt he felt for hurting her feelings. "What time is is anyways? I don't even know if it's night or day down here."

"Midday. The sun won't set for several hours yet. I'm afraid you must suffice with my company, though if you prefer, I can leave."

"Don't worry about it, it's your home, not mine. Listen, sorry to be blunt, but I really gotta take a piss."

She rose and beckoned him to follow. He moved stiffly as he got up out of bed, then stopped, remembering he was naked. He heard her utter another apology to him as she fetched his pants for him, turning her back as he pulled them on. She guided him by the light of the lamp in her hand, through the second room and into another where he was shocked to find a proper toilet as well as a shower. Noting his reaction, she was prompted to explain. "I've learned that during the Second World War, the priest who ministered the church hid refugee Jewish families down here, so he made it as hospitable as possible for them. He did not agree with Romania aiding Germany."

"Where you here for that?"

"No, I was still home in England. Excuse me." She set the lamp down and was gone a second later.

When he was finished, he washed his hands in the sink, finding the bar of soap provided. The pipes groaned, but the water that ran out of them was cold and clean. He took down several gulps before taking up the lamp and making his way back to bed. Mina was in her chair, ever small and pristine and he took a moment to study her further. She really was beautiful. He was usually attracted to pouty lips and big tits, but this woman had neither. She was demure and soft. She was also placating and timid and it unnerved him. Her eagerness to please him and not offend him was strange. Mostly though, she looked painfully lonely. He supposed he hadn't much choice in his present situation. It would be a few days before he was in fighting form and the effects of the concussion ebbed. He hated letting his guard down, but at the least, he could make conversation.

He eased back down to the bed and reclined against the pillows Mina had piled up against the headboard for him. He groaned as he released the tension in his muscles and sunk into the soft bed. He knew vampires slept, but he hadn't expected one to need such a lush bed. He supposed, being as she came across as a rather prim and proper, that having a nice place to bed down wasn't out of the realm of possibility. The duvet was a little tattered and some of its embroidered patterns were frayed, but everything was clean and comfortable. She kept to her chair, battered old leather thing that it was, looking as if it belonged in a pub more than a vampire's boudoir. There were books and a couple of large trunks in the room also. His surroundings made him curious, prompting him to speak.

"So, you're from England?" he asked. She nodded and sat up a little straighter now that his attention was upon her.

"Yorkshire," she replied.

"Why'd you leave? I mean, I get that Bucharest is sort of a Mecca for vamps, but you're a long way from home."

"It's a long story, and not a terribly pleasant one. I will tell you if you ask."

He waved her off. "Most vampires tend to live in covens. How come you're all alone?"

"I don't need to be with the others. I keep well enough with my own company. I'm used to being alone. I don't trust easily either. I've been in the world a long time and I've found that one is best on their own if they're not with family. Wouldn't you agree?"

He couldn't really argue with her there. Now that Celeste had decided to be with Nikolai, and with Katya and Andre gone, he really was alone. He didn't mind it so much, there wasn't exactly time to appreciate being around someone else when his every waking hour was spent hunting down the rogue vampires that still insisted on hunting for people to drink from. The police weren't bothering, so he figured in the wake of what went down with Kovacs, he had to step up. Truth be told, he didn't really have an obligation to anyone, except he felt the need to carry on with the revenge that burned in his heart. If he allowed himself to think about it, he'd realize that his mother and father were long dead and couldn't have cared less about what he was doing in their honour. Problem for him was, he hadn't anything else. In fact, his life was a fairly empty one. He looked up at Mina and acknowledged that hers must be too.

"How old are you?" he asked, his curiosity growing.

"Over a century, but..." Her voice trailed off and she shivered. Harker's brow furrowed. "I..." her voice cracked as she choked on the emotions rising up in her throat. He remained silent. She looked at him and swallowed hard. "I was kept prisoner for many decades." Harker felt a chill run down his spine. It was tough imagining this pretty little lady kept in a cell. She stared at him and continued. "I try and forget, or allow the years to blend all together, but sometimes..." She hugged her arms around herself and shuddered. "Nevermind me, I'm not important. How are you feeling? I wasn't sure about medicine, but I brought what I found. If you're in pain perhaps something would be of help?"

"Can't dull the pain, gotta keep the mind sharp."

"But why? You're in no danger here with me. Why suffer? You slept for nearly an entire day under my care and you weren't harmed."

"Just leave it... I..." He winced and felt himself getting dizzy. The wine had gone straight to his head. She was at his side in an instant, her hand to his neck to check his pulse.

"You need sleep, Harker. Only rest can heal you." She stroked his cheek and he felt himself falling under. As the last vestiges of his conscious left him, he was certain he felt her lips brush again his. His mind might've been changed regarding vampires now that his sister had become one, but this one, who seemed hell bent to be his protector and nursemaid, was changing his mind again. He wasn't sure he was ready for that.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

There was little conversation over the next few days. Harker lay quietly with a cool damp cloth over his eyes and slept intermittently. Mina brought him food, kept him company sitting quietly in her corner reading, and let him be when he asked to be alone. She did her best to be hospitable but he was ever wary about her. She'd rescued him from certain death and for that he was grateful, but he didn't understand her. She had a story and his interest was piqued. He also wondered if his softening towards her was putting him in danger. She was a vampire and he believed that made her fundamentally untrustworthy. It was time to leave her company and possibly even Bucharest.

Mina had left him again to find him food and when she returned the concerned look on her face piqued his interest. She was his only connection to the outside world, so as he ate the cured meat and apples she'd brought him, he encouraged her to speak her mind.

"There is no order, no honour any longer," she began, pulling her feet up under her as she took her usual seat in her chair. She wrapped her long cloak around her body and seemed to be swallowed up by it. "The vampires and humans are virtually at war. The people outside Sector 5 rain fire down upon this part of Bucharest. The city burns and men come during the day to hunt, finding where the vampires nest and kill them without mercy. They declare that it is revenge for the ones that died in the wake of what happened at the tower. The police do nothing, save for trying to keep the humans on the other side of the walls and fences. They still find a way inside. At night, the vampires come out in droves, killing any human being they can find, some get into the city beyond Sector 5 and kill the innocent."

"It's time I got the hell out of Bucharest," Harker spoke, mostly to himself, but Mina's reaction was instant and surprising to him.

"No! No, you mustn't leave these walls, it's not safe! Please!" she implored. The sheer terror on her face confused him. They'd only know each other a few days and she was acting like they were soulmates.

"Look, Mina, I sincerely appreciate your taking care of me, but you know as well as I do that humans and vamps don't mix."

She crashed down to her knees before him clutching as the fabric of the blankets over his legs. "Harker, the danger is too great, you'll not survive. At night..."

"I can travel in the daylight. I just need to get back into the heart of the city, back to my base. If I can load up on weapons I can make it out of Sector 5." Mina withdrew from him and he was certain he saw tears in her eyes. "You should get out too."

"I have no where to go."

She spoke so softly he'd barely heard her, but he caught it and the absolute despair in her voice. In the few days he'd known her he had grown to like her, but that was as far as he was ever going to let it go. He'd been hunting vampires since he was seventeen, it was all he knew. Bucharest was being overrun and if he wanted to survive to fight another day, he had to get the fuck outta dodge.

"Listen, why don't we work together?" he offered. "Help me get to my base, we'll spend the night there if it's secure, then when the sun's up, we'll find a weak spot in the perimeter of Sector 5 and bust out of this hell hole. Then you can go wherever you want, find somewhere nice. I've heard Paris is great."

"You're resolute? You'll not even consider remaining until you're properly healed?"

"I'm well enough for this, trust me. Are you coming with me or not?" He stared at her and caught the slight nod of her head. "Good. Got something to wear to travel during the day?"

"Yes."

"No time like the present, right? Get your stuff." She was gone a second later, having disappeared into the shadows. He dressed quickly, feeling woozy as he did so. Mina probably had a point. He wasn't sufficiently recovered from his concussion or his bruised ribs. However, being in close quarters with a vampire, even one who seemed relatively harmless, was prompting him into action. The longer he stayed with her, the more things he'd find to like about her. He'd always love Celeste and be grateful she was still in the world, but he couldn't pretend to like vampires as a whole no matter how much he cared for his sister. Vampires had murdered his parents and altered the course of his life forever. He'd not had a moment's peace since then and he didn't think he ever would. Mina was pretty, she was docile and she was kind, and like Celeste, she was making him question his choices. He wasn't prepared for the answers. The best solution was to get out of the city and cut ties with her. She'd survived more than a century. She'd be fine on her own.

Once he was dressed he followed after her, finding her by the sliver of light at the North wall of the center room. He'd not even known there was a doorway there. She'd been right in her assurances that her home was a secure and safe one. The mountain of stairs he climbed as he followed after her brightly burning candle winded him and made his sore ribs ache. She did not look back or show concern as they entered the church, climbing out from behind the hidden passageway behind the altar. The church was in ruins, it's roof and part of its walls long gone. The once glorious medieval Church of Saint Vetranion was little more than gothic arches and rubble. There were still a few mosaics intact on portions of wall and Harker could easily imagine it in its zenith. Those days were long gone and much like the rest of Bucharest, it was crumbling.

The sun was high and bright with a slight breeze parading between the stone pillars. Mina set the extinguished candle down and emerged into the daylight. Harker gave her clothing a skeptical look. She still wore her black gown, with its thick fabric, lace and corset. She wore her woolen cloak and had pulled its hood up to cover her head. A veil fell over her face and neck and long black gloves covered her hands and arms. He supposed it worked as well as anything, but she couldn't have been more conspicuous if she'd tried.

Their surroundings were vast open acres of dried, pale yellow grass. There wasn't a tree in sight. The churchyard was little more then fallen headstones and broken angels. It would be a good hike into the heart of Sector 5, but his decision was firm. Mina walked at his side, though a few feet apart from him. She remained silent. The scenery changed from pastoral to urban and with it the direction of the wind. A sudden gust rushed in from behind them and caught the folds of her veil, lifting it away from her face and exposing her to the sun. She screamed and Harker reacted instantaneously, turning her around and shielding her face at his chest. He ushered them into the shade before allowing her to look up. He winced at the burn that had been seared into one side of her face. He watched and waited for the wound to heal on its own, but it remained. His brow furrowed in confusion, but he said nothing. She hurriedly put the veil back in place.

"Thank you," she whispered in gratitude.

"Here, pull your hood down lower," he replied, doing the task for her. She hurriedly pulled her veil back in place. "Take my arm."

She smiled at him, the first smile he'd seen from her in a couple of days. Her hand came around and settled on his forearm. They kept to the light as much as possible. While most of the vampires slept during the day, several were standing sentry to guard their brothers and sisters as they slept. Harker realized it had been a mistake to venture out into vamp territory when he took note of how many were aware of his presence. If they were all starving for blood, he was serving himself up to them on a silver platter. Mina's presence seemed to keep them at bay however. He wasn't about to question it. The deeper into the city they got, the more precarious their situation did also. All around them were vampire covens just biding their time until the sun set before spreading out to engage the humans once more.

It was a miracle they made it to his old base in one piece. The afternoon waned and he wasn't sure if they'd be able to make it to a safe haven before nightfall. They ventured into the building and Harker's heart sunk at the sight before him. Everything had been decimated and looted. There was little if anything left of any use. The weapons stores were empty, the equipment smashed and the interior itself trashed. He sent out a silent prayer as he moved into his private bunker and found the cache in the ceiling. He hissed out a triumphant _Yes! _as he pulled down the strong box and opened it. He instantly replaced the clips in his guns with fresh ones with the mercury tipped bullets and filled the pouches in his protective vest with spares. He slipped the pointed silver shivs into the loops on the sides of his vest. Meanwhile Mina stood quiet and guarded, watching the door, watching over him.

"Come with me," he spoke as he rose and moved past her towards what had been Celeste's room. Most of the place was in an equal state to the rest of the place, but he gathered up what he sought. He passed Mina a set of clothes. They'd be too big for her, but they'd be easier to move around in than the ridiculous Victorian getup she favoured.

"I don't understand," she spoke, pulling away her veil and hood, revealing the angry red mark on her beautiful face.

"Change clothes. Look, I get that you like the pretty dress, but it's not practical, especially if we get to into a bad situation and have to fight our way out." She nodded and cast off the veil and cloak. She fumbled with the little buttons at the back of her dress, undoing each of them one at at time. When she couldn't undo the last few, Harker stepped in and came to her aid. The fabric fell open to reveal a creamy, pale slope of soft, flawless skin. He knew then he had to get away from her. He was tempted and that was unacceptable. He stepped away. "I'll give you some privacy, be quick and we might be able to get away before sunset."

Harker stalked the main hub of his former base, kicking at debris with his feet. For a moment there he'd forgotten that Mina was a vampire, he'd allowed himself to become vulnerable to her. The rational side of his mind reminded him that he'd been laid out in her bed and helpless for several days without being harmed. However, the softening of his heart towards her was what had unnerved him. He couldn't deny that she was a beautiful woman, but in his line of work, that sort of thing was irrelevant. If they'd met under different circumstances, he'd have probably killed her just for being a vampire. Celeste had gone and screwed up everything. She was still his sister and he loved her, but she'd become the thing he hated most in the world.

He sighed heavily, rubbing his hand down his face.

"I'm ready," Mina spoke from behind him. He spun around and beheld her. The thing he noticed first was her boots. They were worn and battered and probably as old as she was. The black leather was scuffed gray and the laces were frayed. They covered her ankles where she'd tucked the dark denim cuffs of the jeans into them. They were a little loose on her small frame, but fit well enough. A leather belt held them to her hips. Celeste's shirt hugged her body, but the sleeves were a bit too long. Head to toe in modern clothes, she looked very strange to him. The clothes didn't suit her in the least. She was an old world lady and the old world style suited her. He stopped himself before he got to thinking that he'd like to find her something in slinky black leather and lace. Another thing that struck him was dull chain around her neck from which dangled two wedding bands. One was small and delicate, perfectly suited to her hand and another was larger, obviously meant for a man. Had she been married? She caught him staring at the rings and she quickly tucked them under her shirt. She had her dress bundled at her side and finished dressing, putting on her gloves, cloak and veil to obscure skin from the harmful sun. The burn on her cheek still hadn't faded.

She approached him and Harker felt his back stiffen and the hackles rise up on the back of his neck. She reached towards him and slid one of the slender blades from its sheath, grasping the hilt firmly. "If someone attacks you, I will kill them, Harker," she vowed. The vehemence with which she'd spoken shocked him.

"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."

They left the base and cautiously made their way back through the city streets. The sun was beginning to set and Harker cursed under his breath as more and more vampires came out of the shadows and amassed to follow after them. A human being was a rare sight in Sector 5 and they were all hungry. Mina inched closer to him, but Harker noted it wasn't for him to protect her, but the other way around. A sudden and very commanding presence came over her. She stood taller and with her hand upon his shoulder, guiding him along the streets. The other vampires kept their distance, but continued to follow.

The explosion rocked the ground beneath their feet as the side of the building forty feet ahead of them sent an entire wall of brick and debris flying across the street. Harker acted instantly, grabbing Mina around the waist and pulling her against his body as he spun them around so to shield her from the fire. He maneuvered them behind a pillar of concrete that was part of the supports for the overpass above them. The vampires that fanned out to quickly engage what Harker realized were a band of rogue Vampirdzhiya, vampire hunters. He was torn between joining the battle, as both humans and vampires began dying at each others hands, but in the moment, with Mina in his arms holding tightly to him, he wasn't sure which side to take. He closed his eyes for a second and made his choice - joining the fray would be pointless. He and Mina needed to get away instead.

"Follow me," he ordered, taking her gloved hand in his. She gripped him tightly and together they ran, navigating the perimeter of the skirmish as fires spread and the men fired bullets at will. Harker felt the wind of one zip past the end of his nose and he heard Mina's sharp gasp as it barely missed her too. He knew full well that she could disappear in the blink of an eye if she wished, but she kept pace with him and a deadlocked hold on his hand. They ran until Harker was out of breath and clutching at his aching ribs. Mina quickly took them into an alley in order to give him an chance to catch his breath. He leaned against the wall and heaved, then whimpered. With hands to his knees, he groaned and his head dropped. He cursed under his breath with the echoes of more explosions and gunfire all around them. Meanwhile, the sun became a sliver along the horizon and with that droves of vampires came out from their dens. The gunfire died down and the screams of men filled the night air.

"We must go on," Mina spoke, helping Harker to stand upright again. "If you hold to me, I can traverse the distance carrying your weight."

He'd have protested if he'd had the strength or the breath to do it, but he knew she was right. He was in no shape to run anymore. Every nerve was firing and the pain in his ribs was excruciating. Not to mention the fact that his head was pounding. He nodded and leaned on her for a moment but a split second later she was gone, being dragged away by a human who had broken away from the fighting. He'd probably been retreating much like they had, but with all his built up adrenaline and rage against anything resembling a vampire, one more kill would serve to quell the fire within. Harker knew exactly how that felt. There'd been a time, before he'd gone to prison, when he'd been in that man's shoes. Now however, Harker reaction was an entirely different one.

The man had Mina by the throat and was dragging her into the last of the sun's rays, already with his gun to her temple. Why she wasn't fighting him off, he didn't know, but if one of them didn't react quickly, she was going to be killed.

The sound of a single gunshot reverberated along the corridor of the alley.

Harker staggered over to where Mina had been dropped, ignoring the dead man. He holstered his gun an offered her his hand. She took it and he hauled her up to her feet. She pulled away her veil, there were tears in her eyes.

"Why the hell didn't you kill him?" Harker demanded. "He'd have killed you! I just shot a human being to save you!"

She said nothing and wiped at her eyes. "I..." her voice broke and he stared at her hard. "He was human," she finally said.

"I fucking know that! Why didn't you do something?"

"Because..."

"Because?"

"Because I didn't know if you'd forgive me if I killed a human!" She buried her face in her hands and tried to compose herself. Harker sighed heavily. He wanted to tell her that in self-defense it really didn't matter, but he could understand how she'd think that way. Once again she had him questioning his views on the world and who he was in it. The chaos around them continued and there wasn't time to debate the right or wrong of what had just occurred. He took her by the upper arm and turned them down the street.

"Come on, we need to get somewhere safe for the night, we'll get out of Sector 5 tomorrow."

"Where?"

"Anywhere but here."

"Harker, I'm sorry..."

"Keep it to yourself, I'm not in the mood." His tone was harsh, but he wasn't angry at her, not really, she'd only been doing what she thought he'd want, even if it had almost cost her life. He was angry at himself for killing the man without hesitation on behalf of a vampire and now that he reflected upon it, he was also without regret. His resolve was weakening. He was beginning to think of Mina the vampire as Mina the woman, a woman he'd come to care for without her having done a thing to lure, ensnare or seduce him. He'd been lost in his thoughts when a fresh pain flared in his leg. He took one step and his knee buckled. He heard Mina cry his name before his head began to swim and his vision blurred, and then all went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Waking up naked in Mina Murray's bed was becoming a little too familiar a scenario for him. He rubbed at his eyes and ran his tongue over his teeth. He stretched out and immediately jerked as his calf exploded in pain.

"Perhaps this will teach you a lesson," Mina scolded as she came to his side, flinging the blankets off his lower half to reveal that his leg had been bandaged and tended to already. "The bullet went clean through, and it missed the bone entirely, but it will be some time before you're able to walk properly again. I've properly cleansed and stitched the wound. You were lucky that the bullet did not contain quicksilver. We must keep it clean so as not to risk infection. I have plenty of medicine and bandages that I gathered when I first sought food for you."

He sat up and grunted appreciatively as she placed several pillows behind his back. "What's this lesson am I supposed to have learned?"

"That you ought to listen to a woman when she gives you advice." Harker scowled at her and it deepened when she pursed her lips together to suppress a smile. "The choice is made for you, Harker. You have no hope of getting out of Sector 5 in your present state. Perhaps now you'll take the time to heal properly before venturing out again. I'll fetch you whatever you're in need of, but you must rest. Understood?" Her tone was serious, but there was warmth to it and he nodded his head.

"How long have I been out?"

"All of last night and most of today. The sun will set in three hours. Do you wish for food yet? Or help to relieve yourself?" His eyes widened for a moment, then he realized by relief, she'd only meant to escort him to the bathroom. He waved her off and managed the trip on his own, grunting and whimpering as he went, clutching a sheet around his waist. By the time he reached the bed again he was sweating and nearly delirious with pain. Mina helped him down to the bed and turned her back as he righted the sheet and covered himself again. She'd changed back into her gown again and he found it a welcomed sight. In the softness of the candlelight, she looked truly radiant and alluring. She was beautiful and the preternatural state of being a vampire only seemed to enhance her. He closed his eyes and relaxed. He supposed, in hindsight, the sojourn into the city to get weapons was not one of his better ideas. He was glad for the ammunition, but so far all it had got him was a wounded leg and his vampire nearly killed.

Once he was healed, he'd get them both out of Sector 5. After that, he had no idea.

!*!*!

Harker spent most of the next three days either asleep or in a dozing state. The injuries previous to the gunshot wound had made themselves acutely known again, no doubt setting his recovery backwards. By the forth day he was alert and hungry. He ate the last of the food Mina had foraged for him, including some sort of beef jerky, a portion of cheese and the last of the apples. He finished off the bottle of wine and slept for many more hours. His leg itched something fierce, but it was taken as a good sign that the flesh was knitting back together. There was little swelling and no redness to the wound. Mina had done an immaculate job sewing him up. His best guess what that a Victorian woman probably spent half her life doing needlepoint or some other such nonsense. Wherever she'd developed the skill, he was grateful for it.

At one point he'd wakened and found her sitting not in her chair, but standing at the threshold of the bedroom, facing away from him. She was singing softly to herself, he didn't recognize the melody or the words, but it was lovely to hear. He assumed she knew he was awake, but made no move to acknowledge him and continued to sing her song. He fell back asleep to the dulcet tones of her voice and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he dreamt.

He saw her in the sunlight with long curls of glorious red hair fanned out across the grassy field with her bright blue eyes dancing. She was smiling at him and laughing, half naked with skin flushed from his having made love to her. She told him she loved him and he found himself speaking the words in return. She asked for a kiss and he obliged, then she turned his head to whisper in his ear.

When he awoke he was alone, with her softly spoken secret still echoing in his ears. He searched for her but she was no where to be found. He ventured outside briefly, but with night falling, and his body still in a very bad way, he thought it highly unwise to linger. He shut the heavy door behind him and returned to bed, for the first time trusting that whatever it was Mina was doing, was in his best interests.

When she hadn't returned by the time he awoke the next day, Harker became worried. He dressed and armed himself, and set out to see if he could pick up a trail of some sort. After a fifteen minute walk, he turned back. The pain in his leg was excruciating and he knew if he went any further, Mina would find him passed out in the middle of a field. He laboured back to their hideout and collapsed on the bed. The next day there was still no sign of her. He waited out the time in frustration and worry. The hours passed and Harker kept himself as alert as possible in order to hear her return. It was the middle of the night when he heard the familiar sound of her footfalls on the stone staircase that led to the door. He rose and waited for her, holding the lamp aloft. She entered the room and ignored him as she moved to place the items in her arms down. She had sacks full of numerous tins of food as well as bags of chips, candybars and other junk food. It was enough to last at least a week, two if he rationed himself. She looked up at him and could not meet his eyes.

"Where have you been?" he asked, trying not to show the worry in his voice but failing. A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her mouth and she reached up to gently touch the side of his face.

"It's of no consequence. I hope you're not too hungry from waiting. I'm sorry I couldn't get any more wine."

"I don't need wine, Mina, the water's fine. You were gone a long time. I, well, I was worried."

She smiled again, settling her hand on his neck and stroking his jaw with her thumb. "Thank you for your concern, that's very kind. You needed food, I did what I could to take care of you, especially after..." Her words fell away and she withdrew her hand, but he caught it and held it in his own.

"I don't regret it. He'd have killed you. I don't believe in fate, but I do believe you weren't meant to die that day." With her own words repeated back to her she smiled brightly and squeezed his hand.

"You shouldn't be out of bed. Take something with you. I'll join you in a little while." She let go of his hand and moved away, lumbering stiffly as if every motion brought her pain.

"Mina?" he called after her, closing the distance between them. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head. "I'll be fine. I'd like a little privacy please." Whatever rapport and bond they'd formed over their days together had let him read her pretty well by now. Something had happened, something that had injured her. He took hold of her hand again and squeezed.

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Harker, you needn't concern yourself. I did what had to be done, it's over now."

"What do you mean, what had to be done?" She'd originally been bringing him fresh food - bread, fruit and cheese, and this time she'd returned with canned goods and prepackaged food. She'd got them from a different source. "Mina, what did you do?"

She clearly didn't want to tell him, but she spoke nonetheless, trusting him. "There is a vampire, an old one, perhaps even ancient. He has dominion over parts of the city's underground and if you're in need, he can provide, so long as you... if you submit..." She choked on her words and tears came to her eyes.

Harker let go of her as if he'd been burned. "Submit? Are you telling me you just whored yourself out to get me food?" He took several steps back from her, his hands going to his face to temper the shock he felt over what he was hearing. Had she really done what he thought she had? "You bring me here, take care of me... make me feel... how could you..."

He was at a loss, uncertain of how to react. He'd wakened from his dream feeling more at ease with the emotions that surrounded his thoughts of her. He'd begun imagining what it would be like to kiss and hold her for real. He'd told himself to see past her being a vampire and to start seeing her as a woman, and then she'd gone and done this.

"I... please... understand, I did this for you..."

"For me? What the fuck is wrong with you? I don't think I've ever been more disgusted in all my life!"

She visibly recoiled at his words and turned from him.

"Please don't eat everything all at once. I don't know if I'll be able to get more." She began making her way to the bathroom, each step causing her obviously pain.

Harker's stomach roiled at imagining what had been done to her to make her walk as badly as she was. She disappeared into the shadows and in an outburst of confused anger, he sent the cans of food flying, making an awful din as they hit the wall. He stalked back towards the bedroom and began pacing, ignoring the pain in his leg.

He heard the sound of the shower running, followed soon after by her sobs. She'd always seemed to him to be on the verge of telling him something, but each time she'd gained courage enough to speak her mind, she'd held her tongue. He barely knew a thing about her, but he'd learned that she obviously cared deeply for him and was willing to do just about anything to care for him. He didn't understand why she'd fixated on him, but she had, and now she'd sacrificed herself in an awful way just to feed him.

Her unfettered weeping echoed throughout the stone rooms, filling them with her sobs. Her cries were ones of great anguish and they cut through him like a knife. He couldn't bare to hear them a moment longer. He was torn between leaving and going to her, but his instincts guided him and he left the bedroom and traversed the distance to the bathroom, taking up the lamp to light his way.

His stomach flipped and he nearly dropped the lamp at what he saw. Her dress was left on the floor just inside and she stood with her palms flattened against the wall with the water raining down upon her. Even in the limited light of the lamp, he could see the blood as it streamed down her back and her legs, pooling near the drain at her feet as the water washed it away. Now he knew the source of her pain and it nearly made him sick. She stood completely naked under the water. Her back and all the way down her legs were covered in long, raw, bleeding welts. She'd been tortured, whipped and horribly abused. Harker swallowed hard and wavered on his feet. He felt anger and disgust once more, but it wasn't directed at her, but rather whoever it was that had violated this soft-spoken, protective woman who'd sacrificed herself just to keep him from going hungry. He also felt a great deal of shame, especially for his ignorantly spoken words. He set the lamp down and approached.

The tepid water of the shower wet his clothes and boots as he came to stand near. He knew she knew he was there, but she was too caught up in her sorrows to cease her crying. He reached up and gently wiped the tears from her face, then leaned in and pressed his lips to her cheek. She continued to weep as he kissed her temple and forehead. He maneuvered himself between her and the wall, not caring that he was getting wet. Her hands moved to his shoulders and she looked up at him, pleading with him to comfort her and understand that what she'd done had been only out of love. His fingers ghosted across the burn that remained on her cheek and she flinched.

"Sorry," he whispered. "Why haven't you healed? Vampires are supposed to heal instantaneously."

"Not if we don't feed."

"Why haven't you fed?"

"I could not risk the synthetic blood. I couldn't bare turning into one of those things."

"What about humans..." She shook her head vehemently and the truth dawned on him. "You're starving!"

"Of course I'm starving, I haven't eaten in weeks, not since it became know that the synthetic blood was infected."

"When the devolution began..."

"I stopped drinking."

"Is it killing you?"

"No, no a vampire cannot die from starvation. It will wither, become a weak, to the point of being a helpless shrivelled thing, but its body will never die."

"When you said that you submitted to this other vampire, you didn't mean sex, did you?"

"Never... I could never."

"What I said back there, I didn't mean that I was disgusted by you. I was disgusted by the idea of someone using you."

"His name is Pontius. He's old, so very old, too old to lust for a woman. His pleasure is derived from the suffering others, from inflicting pain upon them. He revels in torture and blood letting."

"Jesus, Mina, why the hell would you let yourself be hurt like this?"

"It was as I said, you needed food. There's nothing left in Sector 5, I've searched everywhere. Pontius is fair, however cruel he is. I gave him what he wanted and he gave me what I needed. I don't regret it."

"I'd have rather starved than have put you through this."

"I just wanted to take care of you. I wish you understood what it is I feel for you."

"I'm getting a pretty clear picture, honey." He leaned in and caught her lips for a gentle kiss that quickly turned passionate. She clutched his shirt and surrendered, giving him everything. Harker cupped her face in his hands and savoured the cool, soft and intoxicating sensation of her lips and tongue playing against his. After long moments of exploring each other, Harker pulled away and presented her with his wrist, unravelling his old bandana from it. "If you feed, you'll heal, right?"

She confirmed his question with a nod of her head. "But I couldn't..."

"Quiet. Yes you can. Take what you need, okay? You'll stop before it goes too far. You want me to trust you? Then help me to trust you, by trusting me. Drink, please." He turned her face to his wrist, stroking the apple of her cheek with his thumb. She leaned her body close into his and began licking and suckling along the length of his forearm. Her eyes closed and her soft sighs against his skin made him groan. This was a kind of foreplay he wasn't so used to, but he certainly reacted, feeling his pants tighten as he became aroused. His eyes fluttered closed and he suppressed a moan. Her fangs descended and the tips traced along the vein before suddenly piercing his flesh and opening the flow of blood into her mouth. She took three good pulls and swallowed deeply before backing off to gently suckle. She fed for only a few seconds more before pulling away and laving the wounds with her tongue to staunch the flow. He opened he eyes and watched before him as the burn on her cheek disappeared. He ran his hand up the length of her back, finding her skin smooth and whole. He wrapped her up in his arms and she buried her face into his chest. They stood together under the tepid water for several minutes until Harker carefully set her back. The wounds on his wrist had already closed. "Feel better?"

"Yes, thank you. What you did? I could never have imagined..."

"Yeah, I know, trust me, I know. Do me a favour? Dry yourself off and go get into bed?"

If a vampire could blush, she was doing it. His hands roamed the plain of her once again pristine back and he kissed the top of her head. "Won't you come with me?" she asked.

"In a minute, need a wash first. I'm pretty ripe."

"Your scent is rather pungent, yes."

"Hey!" She laughed and kissed his mouth once before turning and walking away. He watched her pert backside as she departed. "Don't pretend you don't know that I damn well came in my pants the second those sharp little fangs of yours sunk in!" he called after her. Her laughter echoed around him and he found it infinitely more pleasant a sound than her crying.

He stripped himself bare, rolling his eyes at the sticky mess in his boxers. He peeled off the bandages around his calf, relieved to see it was healing well. He grabbed the bar of soap from near the sink and got clean. He wished he had a razor handy too, but there wasn't one on hand. He hoped Mina didn't mind the beard. To his surprise, he found that she'd left him some cloths for drying off.

He padded his way across to the bedroom stark naked. He knew at this point he'd pretty much thrown all his reservations and inhibitions right out the window. She was under the covers already, waiting for him. Her plump and soft breasts with their dusky, peaked nipples he very much wanted to taste, were exposed to his gaze. She stared back at him, her eyes drinking in the sight of his lithe, muscular body. A knowing smirk appeared on her face at the sight of his half hard cock. He was sure they'd make love soon now that things had shifted between them, but he was exhausted and lightheaded from having fed her his blood and surely she was still traumatized by the ordeal she'd experienced prior to coming home. He eased himself down to the bed and she flung the covers over his middle. He opened his arms to her and she accepted his invitation without hesitation. With her chest pressed to his he gave a contented sigh. It had been a very long time since he'd fallen asleep with a woman in his arms. Her hand splayed out over his chest and her head rested upon his heart.

"You're warm," he spoke quietly.

"By you," she replied. She kissed his chest and cuddled as close as possible, insinuating her legs between his, rubbing her thigh against his cock and balls. He groaned and she laughed. "Time for sleep, Harker."

"Johnny, call me Johnny."

"Time for sleep, Johnny."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Harker woke alone in the bed, though the sensation of Mina having slept in his arms lingered. Neither had moved a muscle all the hours they'd slept, holding fast to each other and finding solace. He found his clothes neatly folded in her chair. The smelled of soap and were stiff. She'd washed them and hung them to dry outside. Two years in prison he hadn't had anything clean, it was nice. He dressed and winced a few times with the lingering pain in his leg. He'd always been a fast healer and the bullet had gone clean through, but it would be a couple weeks yet before he was able to move with any sort of stealth or agility. It wasn't the first time he'd been shot and might not be the last.

The door to the upper part of the church was wide open and he followed after where he assumed she'd gone. She was sat upon the altar, looking up at the stars, dressed in Celeste's clothing.

"You slept quite deep, and for many hours," she spoke to him as he took a seat beside her, settled his arm around her shoulders and drew her near to kiss her temple.

"I don't usually. In prison you couldn't afford to sleep more than a couple hours at a time, and that's with someone watching your back. Having you around must be good for my peace of mind and my health, gunshot wound aside. Are you sure it's safe to be out here on your own?"

"I'm not on my own, Johnny, you're here. But yes, there's no one else around for miles. There hasn't been for many days. The city continues to burn..."

He looked out towards the heart of Sector 5 and the orange glow in the distance. "The humans and vampires continue to try and slaughter each other. There's nothing here for us, Johnny. I came a decade ago because I was drawn here, as most vampires are, because something inside me told me to come to this place and that there was something waiting for me. I believe now that was you. I know you don't believe in fate, but I do. I've lived for well over a century and not once during those years have I felt joy, or had a moment of comfort, or safety. Last night, with you holding me, I experienced all those. I've not felt solace such as you've given me since I was last human."

"You had a husband? Didn't you? Couldn't help noticing the rings."

Tears came to her eyes and he kissed them away. "His name was Adam, we were married and we loved each other. I'm sorry, it's painful to speak of him. He was murdered and I was turned."

"And you've been alone ever since?" She nodded. "There was a girl in my life, she meant something, but she died a few weeks ago when this all started. Mina, listen, I don't know what's out there for us, but whatever is, I want us to be together. I don't know how it's going to work, with you being a vampire..."

"It doesn't matter to me that we are not the same. Becoming a vampire, the body changes, but the soul remains, a soul that loves you, John Harker."

"Well, fuck..." Before she could question his utterance, he kissed her, fully and passionately. He picked her up and settled her in his lap. "If my Dad could see me now!"

"Tell me about him? I want to know what's led you to me."

"Sure, why not? My parents were both professors back in the States. Hard to imagine I come from a family of intellects, isn't it? They were really into history and mythology. Dad loved vampires, which is ironic since one killed him. The whole family moved to Romania when I was about sixteen. I hated to leave home, but the jobs at the University here were too good to turn down. It was only supposed to be for a year, maybe two.

So, Mom and Dad got heavy into their research, we went all over the country to follow up on leads and village folklore. When he finally found a genuine one, that was when the trouble started. Long story short, a vamp decided to shut him down, but Mom got in the way. She was protecting him and she got killed. After that, he changed, we all changed. He started hunting and got pretty damn good at it. He did actually try and keep me and my sister Celeste out of it, but after a while it was more effort than it was worth and she and I were getting pretty good at it. That's how it started, ten long years ago, and it hasn't ended yet. Anyways, Dad got unlucky one day, and then it was down to me n' Celeste. Now it's just me."

"Is it? Do you still want to hunt vampires?"

"I don't know where I stand anymore if you want the truth. I guess it comes down to good versus evil, and after what's happened with Celeste being turned and Kovacs starting this whole mess, I've learned that there's good and bad on both sides. I also know that I never want anyone to ever hurt you again. I think maybe you need someone to take care of you and if you'll have me, I'd like to be that someone. It doesn't matter to me either, that's we're not the same."

"I am yours, John Harker, body and soul."

"Then I should probably show you how I feel about that, shouldn't I?"

He kissed her and nipped at her chin whilst his hand snuck up under her shirt and over the skin of her back. He remembered the horror of seeing her lovely body covered in marks from a whip. He could almost hear her screams as each lash painted her pale flesh. If the opportunity presented itself, he was going to tear the head off the bastard that dared to harm his woman.

His attention returned to her and the expectant smile on her face. He hopped off the altar with her in his arms and returned them to their sanctuary below. He set her down and closed the heavy door behind them. She moved about the place, setting more candles a light, creating a romantic atmosphere. Romance was definitely not something he'd ever done much, if any of, in the past. But with Mina, it seemed right. This wouldn't be simply sex, it was going to mean something. His romp in the shower with Katya had been fantastic. After two years in prison, getting his rocks off in a nice warm pussy was incredible, but with Mina he realized this would be the first time real love would come into play.

It was surprisingly easy to admit to himself that the feelings he had for this strange, beautiful woman ran deep. Of course telling her so wasn't going to come as easily, but until the words came, he'd show her in other ways. She was back with him a moment later, taking both his hands in hers and guiding him towards the bed.

"No one's touched me since my husband, Johnny. I've never let anyone come close, never trusted another. Sometimes I wonder if I've gone a bit mad, being on my own for so long."

"You must be, you love me, don't you? I've heard vampire's senses are a hundred times stronger than a human's, does that go for touch too?"

"I certainly hope so. I'm yours, do with me as you like."

"That invitation is a serious turn on, honey. Lie back."

She did as he bade and he made quick work of divesting her of her clothes. Her skin looked glorious by the candlelight, taking on an amber hue that almost made her look like she was on fire. He raked his gaze down the length of her body, appreciating her round, lush breasts, the slight curve of her belly and the swell of her hips. The thatch of hair at the apex of her thighs sent a thrill through him and he imagined burying his face between them. He kicked off his boots and pulled off his own clothing, tossing them on the floor with hers while Mina turned down the blankets. He sat down beside her on the bed, laying hand upon her stomach for a moment before gliding it up along her ribs to cup her breast and gently thumb the nipple. She gasped and arched into his touch. He bent his head and kissed the tip of her nipple first before enveloping it with his lips and giving it a slight tug. Next he laved the peaked bud with his tongue, which elicited a shuddering gasp from her. He smiled against her flesh and pulled the nipple into his mouth to suckle upon.

He toyed with one side for a time before moving to the other to give it the same attention; all the while both hands caressed and kneaded the flesh of her breasts. He rained kisses over her chest and throat until she was whimpering and moaning at his every touch. Her skin warmed wherever he touched and he took pleasure in making her tremble and writhe. He moved over her, kissing her mouth briefly before sinking lower, kissing down her torso slowly as he descended. His hand delved between her legs and he spread her open. He kissed, licked and suckled her inner thighs and her hands fisted into fierce grips on the sheet beneath her. He nudged at her center with his nose, loving the tickle of her pubic hair against his cheek. He looked up at her and smirked at her tightly shut eyes and her teeth sunk into her bottom lip. Her belly quivered with anticipation of what was to come and Harker could wait no longer to taste her.

Her parted her folds with the length of his tongue and swept up and over her clitoris. The cry she let out echoed off the stone walls and Harker rumbled with satisfaction, promptly repeating the action. He lapped at her greedily and moaned when her juices began to flow. She warmed with every stroke of his tongue and the fact that she reacted to his touch as a human woman would pushed the last of his doubts aside. They were two people, connected and together; and the differences between a human and a vampire became irrelevant.

Sensing she was close to orgasm by the way her body quivered and she panted for breath, he concentrated on swirling his tongue around her clit between laps to her core. Her cry of his name signaled she'd reached her peak and he continued to devour her as her sex pulsed with her climax. When she finally calmed he kissed his way to her mouth and she welcomed him, her tongue pushing into his mouth as her arms came around his shoulders. He settled his weight upon her, pressing the head of his cock against her opening. Her knees came up and he sunk into her slowly, savouring every second of their joining into one. She gasped loudly and her hands flew to his shoulders, taking hold with a bruising grip.

"Mina?" he questioned.

"I'm alright. You're rather... substantial," she replied, adjusting her position to accept him more easily.

Her smirked and bent his head to kiss her. "Relax, honey, I only want to make you feel good."

"You are, I assure you. You were going to kiss me?"

He took possession of her lips and slipped his tongue between them to twine with hers. Her legs came around his waist and he sunk into her fully. He moved slowly, drawing out his thrusts and savouring the incredible tightness and softness of her. With each stroke, she got hotter, as did he. His hands tangled in her hair and he kissed her hard, giving a solid buck of his hips and making her moan loudly into his mouth. Her legs fell from around his waist to settle over the backs of thighs while her hands began to knead the muscles of his back as they tensed under his movements within her body. She began to undulate with him, breaking off their kiss to breath heavy against his face.

Harker kissed and sucked against the flesh of her throat as he moved with more vigor. The bed gently creaked beneath them and they grasped feverishly at each other. He tore away from her throat, needing to look into her eyes as he approached completion. She was crying, but the smile she gave him assured him her tears were ones of happiness.

"Almost there, Johnny!" she panted, one hand grabbing his backside and pulling him in deeper with each thrust."

"I want you to bite me," he demanded, thrusting in hard and grinding against her. He repeated the action and the request twice more before he saw her fangs descend. She looked into his eyes, still unsure. "Drink, Mina. I trust you." He moved his head to the side, offering her his blood. She licked the sweat from the column of his throat and set the points of her fangs to his skin. He ceased his thrusts and sheathed himself fully inside her, pushing down and deep. He hugged his arms around her and cupped the back of her head, drawing her to close.

When her teeth pierced his flesh, he saw stars, and when she began to drink and her sex began to pulse painfully around his cock, he came. The sensations were nothing he'd experienced before and it shook him to his foundations. He felt delirious, a little woozy and utterly, completely blissful. Mina licked at the punctures in his neck and the bleeding stopped and the wounds began to close. Her body felt hot and he lost himself in her. She pulled the blankets over them to seal in the warmth they'd conjured. Reluctantly, Harker moved off her and collapsed next to her, immediately reaching for her and bringing her to rest in the circle of his arms. Mina sighed and laid her ear to his heart.

They lay in silence, revelling in the experience they'd just shared. Mina kissed his chest while her hand ghosted along his ribs. "You've healed quite quickly," she spoke softly, barely above a whisper.

"Helps to have a beautiful woman tending to me," he replied giving her shoulders a squeeze. His fingers began to stroke up and down the length of her spine. She held the talisman that was around his neck and rubbed her thumb over the cross. As he reached the base of her neck, he touched the chain from which the two golden wedding bands hung. "You said you loved your husband. He was good man?"

"Yes, he was the best of men. He loved me, despite the fact that I was beneath him."

"I can relate, I like having you beneath me!"

She looked up at him and laughed lightly. They shared a kiss and she snuggled as close to him as possible.

"I meant that I was beneath his station. He was high born and I was not. I was educated, but my family was poor, poor and hopeless. Then into my life, came Adam. He built a school for me, so that I could teach the children of the village to read and write. I was paid and given quarters attached to the school to live in after my mother and father died. Both of them perished from consumption within a few months of each other. I was twenty-two years old with no prospects, but he saved me and gave me a life. We fell in love quickly. He rode by each day and stopped to visit. His father had him minding the estate in his absence. Our love was true and pure. He asked me to be his wife and I accepted. When his father returned some months later, things changed. We were forbidden to marry. We were both devastated. I wasn't a proper wife for his son. In a desperate moment we gave in to temptation, and two months later I discovered I was with child. It was shortly there after that the vampire that turned me appeared." She began to tremble, violently, and Harker pulled the covers up to her ears, shielding her from everything beyond their bed as if he could shield her from her painful memories.

"His name was Demitrius. He was a business associate of Adam's father. He set himself upon me, became infatuated. He pursued me and terrorized me. He revealed his true nature to me, convinced I was his lost love reborn and was to join him and become a vampire and his mate. Adam believed me when I told him of the monster Demitrius was, and when first light came, we set off together, determined to not be separated. The first thing we did was marry. Our union was sealed in the eyes of God and our child to be would not be born a bastard. But we were hunted, never more than a few days ahead of Demitrius as well as Adam's father seeking to bring his wayward son home and have me discarded."

She brushed away the tears that had come to her eyes and Harker listened in sober silence, his embrace tightening around her small body. "You said your husband was murdered?"

"Yes. We'd been in flight for several months and I was burdened with the weight of the child. We escaped by the skin of our teeth as they came to the Inn where we'd been taking our respite. We made it so far as the church before the baby started to come. I gave birth in the empty Vicar's quarters. The pain was incredible and I could not quell my screams. Our son was born far too early. He was woefully small. He did not cry. We held him, we kissed him, he took one breath, and then he was gone." She buried her face against Harker's neck and the pillow and wept.

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

She gathered the strength to continue her tale and as she began to speak again, he kissed away her tears. "We buried him in the churchyard in an unmarked grave, swaddled in my shawl. I left my mother's silver cross with him, laid upon his heart. Our grief was insurmountable, but we carried on as soon as I was well enough. We made it as far as Dartmoor some weeks later before Demitrius found us. Adam died in defense of my life and Demitrius seized me, and forced me to drink his blood."

This time it was Harker's turn to tremble, only it was not in fear, but unfettered rage. This sweet, loving woman had not only lost her child and husband, but had her body and her very soul violated by some sick old bastard of a vampire. "What happened after you were turned?"

"I refused to leave Adam, I even tried to get him to drink my blood so that we might still have a chance to be together, but he was long dead. I was still with him as the sun rose, holding his body to my breast, weeping for him, begging God to let me go with him. Demitrius, the coward, fled when he could not drag me away from Adam. It was then that his father came upon us. He had every reason to wish my death and I welcomed it, begged him to kill me, but that would not temper his grief or the madness that arose in him. He took his son's body, and me as well - I did not fight him, the grief rendered me helpless. When we returned to Yorkshire, we were entombed together. And there I remained until I was freed."

"You... Jesus... you were buried alive?"

"I went mad, I think. Starved, alone in the dark as decades passed. My only comfort was the belief that my son and husband were together in Heaven. I dreamt of them often, it was my only solace."

"How did you escape?"

"With no heirs, the estate was divided and sold when Adam's father died, the family tomb was ignored and allowed to decay. A little more than a decade ago, a pair of grave robbers happened upon me, seeking whatever treasures buried with the dead they could find. My hunger was so great that I drained both men dry. It wasn't until after that I came to my senses. I took Adam's wedding ring and I fled. The world had changed so dramatically. I was lost, frightened, but I learned, I survived. I met other vampires, and was drawn here to Bucharest. I now know why." She put her lips to his ear and whispered, "To find you, my beloved John Harker."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

His vision blurred and his chest ached. His heartbeat was weak and erratic, growing ever slower. He felt cold, impossibly cold and he was paralyzed. He could still hear, however, hear her scream as the monster dragged her into the darkness. His Mina, his beloved, precious Mina. He focused and watched in abject horror as the beast tore at her gown and exposed her throat. He began to drain her of blood, just as his had been. She fought, she screamed for him and she wept. The monster dropped her to the ground when he'd taken his fill and she futilely began to crawl towards her love's inert form, her arms outstretched as she clawed for purchase on the cobbled stones. He reached for her too. If they could but touch one last time. She was a hair's breadth from him when the creature grabbed her by the ankle and dragged her back into the shadows, her fingers scoring deep scratches in the floor. She screamed for him, begged him to save her, but he was dying and could not move. He felt his heart stop and with his dying breath, spoke her name. Mina!

"Mina!" Harked gasped, his body jolting as he escaped the nightmare and came back to the world.

"Johnny?" she replied, raising her head from his chest, having been asleep herself. She sat up, the blankets falling from her shoulders to reveal her nude body. She lay her hand to his chest and frowned. "Johnny? What's the matter?"

"Come here, let me hold you!" he implored. She lay herself back down, her body atop his. He wrapped her up in his arms and rolled her beneath him, burying his face at her neck and pressing his lips to her flesh. He kissed her hungrily, wet and open-mouthed over her face, throat and chest. Mina stroked her fingers through his hair and she kissed his forehead.

"Johnny, tell me what's wrong."

He shook his head and nestled his face between her bare breasts. "Nothing, honey. I'm okay. It was just a bad dream."

"I'm sorry."

"Forget it."

"What comfort may I give you? Do you hunger? I can fetch you..." He cut her off with a kiss and she sighed into his mouth as he claimed her. He drew back slowly, pulling on her bottom lip. She smiled up at him and his hand cupped the side of her face, his thumb gently stroking her cheek.

"Kinda wish this could last, don't you?" He watched as her face withered and fear set in. Realizing she'd misunderstood, he quickly spoken again. "I mean, lounging around in bed, that's all. At some point we've gotta get out of here, find somewhere to start over. You n' me? I'm counting on that lasting a really long time." Her relief was instant and it warmed his heart to see her smile return. "Mina, honey, do you want me to be like you? A vampire? Do you want..."

"No! No, Johnny. I love you as you are. I should miss your dark eyes and the warmth of your body. I shall cherish you for all your days and when we are parted, I shall follow."

His brow furrowed. He didn't like hearing her talking about ending her life when his did. She had forever. He couldn't picture himself joining her and Celeste and allowing himself to be turned, but nor could he imagine leaving her. For the present, he had no answers. "Let's not think about that for now. We have to get out of Romania first, then we can think about the future."

"As you wish."

He nodded and combed his fingers through her hair, adoring the sheen and colour of it in the near dark of the room. "Why'd you cut your hair? I know it doesn't grow after you're turned." Her face darkened at his question and he regretted asking.

"Demitrius said it was my hair that first caught his eye. A few weeks after we lost the baby, I asked Adam to cut it for me. I miss how I used to look. Adam and I used to make love in the fields of flowers, my hair wild and unkempt, the sun shining down upon us. Love should never be interfered with. When two people want to be together, nothing should stand in their way."

"He was a lucky man, your husband."

"I'm yours now, Johnny. And, I know I may not be as appealing as when I was human..."

He stopped her words with another kiss while his hand cupped and gently massaged her breast. "You're so fucking hot, you have no idea." She frowned at him and he mentally chided himself. "Sorry. I meant to say, you're so beautiful - the most beautiful thing I've seen my whole life... ugh... fuck... Mina!" She's surprised him back wrapping her hand around the girth of his cock and giving it a playful tug. She stroked him with a sure fist, her delicate fingers playing along his hardening shaft while her thumb rubbed circles on the broad head, grazing along the slit and making him groan wantonly. She looked up at him, eyes shining with desire. It was her turn to cry out in pleasure when two of his fingers made their way to her center and eased inside. He pressed in deep, curling his fingers inside her, enjoying the shocked gasps of pleasure she made and how she bucked against his hand.

"Please, Johnny, I need you," she begged, letting go of him, her body shaking with unrestrained desire.

"Music to my ears, honey." He parted from her and lay on his back. She looked at him with uncertainty. She'd been married, but that had been well over a century ago, and he supposed that maybe they hadn't time to really explore being lovers before all hell had broken loose. He wasn't too chagrined. He'd enjoy teaching her a few things and in turn give her a few new thrills. "Come on, trust me. You'll like it like this, I promise."

He took her by the waist and helped her straddle his lap. He ran his hands up and down her thighs, admiring the view of her naked body. He looked up at her and offered her an encouraging smile, setting her at ease. His hands snuck under her to cup each cheek of her bottom, she rose and he opened her up, fitting the head of his cock at her entrance. Just as he'd experienced the night before, entering her was an experience unlike any other. She was exquisitely tight and he felt how her body stretched to its limits to accommodate him. He panted for breath and suppressed his moan as she took him one inch at a time. Her jaw fell slack and she whimpered, finally seating herself fully down, her legs wide across his hips.

Harker's hands danced along the plains of her rear and her back. She leaned forwards and placed her hands on his chest and gave an experimental circle of her hips. They both cried out and from that point onwards, lost themselves in the giving and taking of pleasure. Mina danced atop him and he moved with her, his hands on her hips as their instincts guided them. The savoured each other and nothing was hurried, but rather deep and intense as they locked eyes and did not waver.

It was Mina who faltered first, as an orgasm claimed her. Her arms shook and she went forwards, crashing down to him as she bucked wildly against him. It took all Harker's resolve not to come straight away, even as her internal muscles strangled his cock. His fingers squeezed her thighs and he growled as she moaned and gasped. As her first peak ebbed, Mina reared back and began to ride him. Gone was his delicate little Victorian lady, as she vocalized her pleasure with abandon. Harker reveled in watching her, how her breasts bounced and how his cock filled her over and over. The sounds of their vigorous mating filled the room and echoed off the stone walls.

He could resist no longer. Taking by her hips and holding her down on him, he ground up against her, making certain to stimulate her clit. She cried out and her fangs descended. It was an intensely erotic sight and with that, he roared out his pleasure and climaxed, filling her with steady streams of his come. Mina seized as another orgasm overcame her, her body welcoming every drop of his release as she was filled.

Exhausted and satiated, Mina collapsed beside him, laughing lightly as she kissed the bare skin of his shoulder, enjoying the salty flavour of his sweat.

"I think I do ill by you for not letting you rest," she sighed, weary and content from their coupling.

"Trust me, honey, your methods suit me just fine."

Mine curled herself against him, once against laying her cheek to his chest. His arm came around her shoulders and he kissed the top of her head. "You make me forget, Johnny," she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"You make me forget that I'm a monster."

"Mina, if there's one thing you've taught me, it's that being a vampire doesn't necessarily make you a monster. You're so far from that."

"But I've killed humans."

"To survive? So you wouldn't starve?" She nodded. "I bet you only killed criminals or shitheads that like to hurt puppies." He looked down at the serious expression on her face and smirked at her. "Thought as much. You're not a monster, Mina, you're a woman. You're my woman." The look of pure joy and admiration on her face warmed his heart. He leaned in and kissed her tenderly. There was really no point in denying it any longer, Harker realized. He wanted to be with Mina for the rest of his life.

!*!*!

Two days later, the time had come to leave the sanctuary of Mina's home and make their way out of Sector 5 and then out of Bucharest. The task of getting dressed was taking longer than it should have, as the couple would only so much as have to catch each other's eye and their passions took hold of them again. The plan was to set out at first light. They'd avoid the densely populated heart of Sector 5 and skirt around the perimeter, searching for any weakness or unguarded section. Once out of Sector 5, the incredible task of getting out of Bucharest followed. They'd wait until nightfall and leave the city by any means of transportation, be it by car or train. Whatever they did, they had to be careful and keep completely out of sight and under the radar. Harker was mostly worried that someone would see that Mina wasn't human and try to attack her. He wasn't sure he'd be able to do anything else but fight and even kill anyone who tried to harm her.

Harker sighed as he buckled his belt. There'd be no more sex until they were safely out of the city. After two years in prison and losing Katya so quickly after barely getting acquainted with her again, having spent the last few days in a delirium of love making and genuine tenderness had him desperate for more. He wasn't sure he'd have ever been able to have with Katya what he had with Mina. Katya had been all fire and passion and she'd been committed to the mission, more so that she'd been to him, he thought. Mina was passionate, but there was something more to her than that. She'd told him she loved him and that had shaken him, even though he'd not let on at the time. He wasn't sure love was meant for him. He was hardened, he was rude, and he was broken. But Mina brought to the surface all the feelings he'd spent the last decade suppressing. He wanted to cherish her, protect her and yes, love her.

He watched as she slipped on her black gloves and laced up her boots. She'd dressed in Celeste's clothes once more. She'd bundled up her gown again to take with her. He'd caught her examining it the previous day, where the lace had frayed or torn, where she'd repaired its many holes, and where the fabric had worn thin. It had been one of her few possessions and part of her identity. He understood why she was so attached to it. He made a silent promise to her that when they settled somewhere new, he'd find a way to get her new clothes and another gown for her to feel beautiful in, perhaps in red or emerald green rather than somber black.

He approached her and she turned to face him. He stretched out his arms and instantly she against his body, holding him and kissing his face.

"Won't be long now," he whispered in her ear. "Well be away from this place."

"It does not matter to me where we go. I only need to be with you to be happy," she replied.

"Me too, honey, me too."

Suddenly Mina let out a frightened gasp and whipped her head around towards the door. "Oh no..."

"Mina?"

"Pontius, he's sent his servants, they're here, above us in the church. I can hear them." She listened, covering Harker's mouth with her hand so he'd not speak. "They've come for me. They've been searching for days." She took her hand away.

Johnny cursed under his breath and immediately pulled on his vest and upholstered his guns. The look of sheer grit and determination on his face obviously frightened Mina as she hurriedly wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. He kissed the side of her head and pulled her near.

"They won't touch a hair on your head, got it? They won't get a shred of mercy from me. The bastard that hurt you is gonna pay!"

"John Harker," Mina began, taking his face in her hands, her thumbs stroking the apple of his cheeks. "I waited a hundred years for you and you were worth the wait. I love you with everything that I am and I will love you forever. To protect you, to keep you from harm, there is nothing I would not do. They can't know you're here, Johnny, they'll kill you. There's more of them than there are bullets in your guns."

"There's no way in hell I'm letting you go up there alone!"

"Hush, my love. I know." She brushed her lips across his. "I love you, and I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

She kissed his cheek and then moved to his throat and sunk her fangs into his flesh. She drank long and deep and he struggled, but she was resolute and continued to pull his blood from his body. She led him down to the floor as he grew weaker. She stopped and licked his wounds until the blood ceased to flow. Weakened and dazed, Harker could barely open his eyes, he reached for Mina and she took his hands in her own, kissing his knuckles.

"Please forgive me," she wept. "I love you, I love you. I can't be the cause of your death, not again." She kissed his lips, staining them with his own blood. Then, she placed the chain with her rings around his neck, laying them to his heart. She pulled on her woolen cloak and her veil. He had a terrible sense of dread, remembering his dream of Mina being torn from him as he lay dying. The dream and the man became one in that instant and he understood her words and why she'd shown him such complete devotion from the instant they'd met.

"Mina..." he spoke, barely above a whisper. "Please... don't..." He saw her shaking as she toughened her resolve to leave him behind. She'd not taken enough blood to kill him, but he was unable to move as he was overcome with dizziness and nausea. He felt consciousness being pulled from him as the room spun and his vision blurred. She opened the door and shut it quickly behind her, leaving him alone in the dark. He tried his damnedest to call out to her or move to follow after her, but he failed and was soon consumed by the darkness.

!*!*!

Harker wasn't sure if he was dreaming, or experiencing a memory, but he was living it. He'd purchased their rings less than a month after their first meeting. For him, it had been love at first sight. She'd come from a poor family, but her mother's side had connections and she'd been to school. She was poised, polite and every bit a lady. She'd been smart and resourceful too, earning her way was a typist whilst searching for a position as either a governess or in a school. Children adored her and she them. In exchange for courtesies and the means to keep herself, she'd been teaching the poorer children of the village. That's when the idea came to him, both to keep her near and give her a purpose. He'd built her a schoolhouse and a place to dwell within. Helping the farmers' and labourers' children to become more productive and intelligent citizens could only benefit all. He'd asked for nothing in exchange save for her friendship. With her parents both gone, and no other family to speak of, she had no one but him. Friendship quickly became love on her part too and he'd been very eager to propose marriage.

The events that followed lead them to this point. Their child grew within her body and they stood before the vicar with his wife bearing witness as they exchanged vows and rings, sealing their bond for all eternity. He looked into her eyes and despite their trials and tribulations with both his father and the horrid creature hunting them, in this moment, all they knew was their love and its beauty. They were two souls made one. No matter what occurred, they'd never be parted, not even by death.

Harker awoke with a gasp, his body jerking and he cried out. "Mina!" he moaned, dissolving into tears. He clamoured to his feet, shaking and disoriented. He staggered to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face until he was sufficiently roused. His head ached something fierce and he felt incredibly weak. He wasn't sure how many hours he'd been out, but he knew Mina was long gone by now. The images of finding her brutalized after she'd returned from Pontius' clutches assailed him and he retched, holding on to the sink to keep from collapsing. What must she be enduring at his hand once more? He couldn't wait a moment longer. He had to go after her. Every second they were apart was killing him.

He found all the candy bars she'd brought him and tore into them. He needed as much energy as he could muster. He was definitely not well enough to mount an assault on wherever Pontius' lair was located. Furthermore he had to find the bastard's dwelling in the first place. He needed help and there was only once place to find it.

!*!*!

Looking pale and haggard, Harker slumped against the door to the club Derricks had first brought him and his team to in order to enlist Nikolai against the monsters that had plagued the city. He kicked at the door with his heavy boot, keeping a firm grip on his Desert Eagles. The sun was beginning to rise and along the way, he'd realized that it had been two days since Mina had surrendered herself to save him. There were whispers among the vampires that Pontius had sent out _invitations_ to various vampire clan leaders for a special celebration to be held the coming evening. It had something to do with putting an end to humanity's reign over their people. The way Harker saw it, Pontius was planning to declare war on mankind. He doubted Mina was meant to play any sort of role in the plans, the bastard just wanted her for a plaything. If Harker allowed himself to think of what his love must be enduring, he'd make himself sick. The best course of action was to get help and ammunition. This was his only option.

He kicked at the door again. "Come on!" he shouted. The vampires in the shadows watched him. They'd soon be retreating to the darkness as the new day dawned.

When the vampire appeared at his side, he nearly jumped out of his skin. "Jesus fucking Christ, Celeste!" he cursed.

"You look like hell, Johnny," his sister spoke. She noticed the healing puncture wounds on his neck. "You've been attacked."

Harker shook his head. "No, no, nothing like that. Listen, I need to talk to Nikolai, please Celeste, it's a matter of life and death. I'll do anything if he'll help me."

"Of course, come with me." She put her arm around his waist and lead him behind the building and in through the back entrance. They went through the kitchen and then into the main expanse of the club, above Nikolai was sat with others of his kin. Celeste had changed since they'd last seen each other. She wore her hair loose and her body was sheathed in silk and leather, no doubt gifts from Nikolai, including the heavy gold chain around her neck from which hung a golden cross, half of which had been dipped in silver. Celeste had always kept her faith, a trait she'd inherited from their mother. He wasn't above asking for a few prayers right now. She guided him up to Nikolai and gave him a place to sit. Then Harker began his story. He left out the intimate parts of what he and Mina had shared, but he made it emphatically clear that he'd do anything to get her back.

Nikolai was more intrigued by what Pontius had planned for them all than helping Harker get his girlfriend back, but agreed to go into the catacombs beneath the club to speak with Anghel himself. In the meantime Celeste brought him a good shot of whiskey, which is downed gratefully.

"It looks like we've both changed a lot in the past few weeks, haven't we?" Celeste asked, laying her hand over his. He nodded. "I'm happy with Nikolai, in case you wondered. I wouldn't say we're soulmates, but we care about each other and he even told me he loved me. It's pretty scary out there right now, but he keeps talking about our future, when Bucharest is stable and there's no more Sector 5. There's places he wants to take me, places from when he was human."

Harker listened, pleased that his beloved sister had found her path, and found someone to share it with. He on the other hand knew it down to his bones that if he lost Mina, he'd not be able to carry on. "Celeste? Do you believe in reincarnation?" Confusion marred his sister's face and he'd have explained had Nikolai not appeared in that moment.

"Anghel has given us permission to engage Pontius and retrieve the vampire Mina. My father has no desire for all out war with the humans. Celeste and I will go as emissaries on Anghel's behalf, while you Harker, search for your woman. Should you need us, we will help."

"Thank you. I mean that," Harker replied. He stood, ready to go, his entire body a tightly coiled machine, ready to unleash every ounce of fury he could conjure.

"We must wait until nightfall," Nikolai continued. "We are not bidden to come until then."

"What? No! I'm not leaving her with that monster another day! Right now he's torturing her, doing God knows what to her!"

"She's a vampire. She will survive. Pontius sent his best trackers to search for her. He would not dispose of her so quickly after going to such lengths to acquire her."

Harker snarled and advanced on Nikolai, but Celeste intervened, holding him back. Nikolai left them, taking his fledglings with him, leaving the siblings alone.

"Johnny, you have to listen to Nikolai. He knows what he's doing. If you're going to sneak into this psycho's lair, you have to be smart or you could get yourself killed!"

"I don't care. I don't care about me. Please, you have to help me. I can't wait. I can't! Celeste, I love her. I love her!"

"Johnny!" she gasped. In all her years she'd never thought she'd hear her brother confess such a thing.

Tears came to his eyes and he gripped her forearm, his eyes boring into hers. "There's something you need to know about me and Mina..." As he explained, Harker could see the lack of belief in his sister's eyes, but he persisted. Finally she accepted that his need was dire and agreed to help. She hadn't needed to employ much subterfuge to gain the information that he needed. She simply listened and related the information of under what building lay Pontius's lair. The vampires would be travelling by the tunnels, but Johnny could make his way through the city. He'd be on his own, and he knew it might even be a suicide mission, but he'd risk anything to get Mina back, including his own life.

It wasn't exactly a surprise that Pontius was attracted to one of the oldest sites in Bucharest. Under an old monastery with a leaded roof Harker knew he'd find his beloved Mina. The place had been built sometime in the 16th century and encompassed several acres. However, the entrance to the catacombs beneath were found just like in the church Mina made home, beyond a hidden passage that lay behind the altar. He knew, even as he descended the steps into the blackness, that it was too easy for him. He pushed his doubts to the back of his mind, concentrating on the ambition to find his woman. With guns at the ready Harker climbed down the craggy stone wall into the depth of the tunnels after the stairs had run out. He nearly lost his grip several times and struggled to keep himself steady. He still felt diminished from the blood Mina had taken from him. In hindsight though, if there was no avoiding the events that had unfolded, he was glad Mina had taken the extra blood. She'd be able to heal quickly from whatever violence Pontius visited upon her.

The tunnels were dark and damp with many veins going off into depths unknown. Mina could be down any one of them. He'd always relied on instincts during the height of his time as the best Vampirdzhiya in Eastern Europe. He'd relied upon his sixth sense during his time in prison too. That is why, when the first batch of vampires emerged from their sentry points he was able to dispatch of them quickly. The sound of gunfire echoed through the catacombs, but fortunately the tunnels were so vast that the sound reverberated down many passageways and it would be difficult to pinpoint their origin. He'd have moved on by the time anyone got to his present position. He hoped the wet, moldy damp of the stones would mask his scent somewhat. The only thing that instantly gave him away were the lights affixed to his guns that guided him. He wish he'd thought to get night vision tech from his base, but he hadn't had the foresight.

He met another pair of vampires, who were immediately on the offensive. He emptied the clip of one gun and finished off the other vampire with one of his silver plated shivs as they tussled and rolled on the cold stone. Harker lamented the bleeding scratch to his hand. The scent of blood would bring the others to him like a moth to a flame. He needn't have been concerned, for as soon as he passed down to the next level in the catacombs, he walked into a vast hall and was suddenly in a crowd of vampires.

The identity of Pontius was instantly determined, sat above the others on a gilded throne, appearing a bit like a gargoyle in human form with thin skin stretched tight over aquiline features. He wore robes in red with a strip of black hair down the back of his neck. Harker had heard stories about medieval vampire courts and their bizarre hierarchies, but he never imagined he'd ever find himself in the middle of one. There was no sign of Mina. He hadn't intended to surrender, but he was out numbered one hundred to one and despite being fairly well armed, the speed and bloodthirst of one hundred vampires was nothing he could stand against. He raised his guns in surrender when the odious ancient vampire rose and simply ordered for Harker's weapons to be seized and for him to be "Put with the others until the hour of reconciliation is at hand."

The horrors that Harker witnessed as he was dragged into the bowels of Pontius's lair would stay with him the length of his days. There were dozens of vampires bound in chains and half naked with evidence of violence upon them courtesy of whips and other instruments of torture that were laid out for the capricious use of their master. The thought that Mina had once been among them made his blood run cold. Some were weeping, some laughing and others were still, dead behind their eyes and broken with their minds lost.

Beyond he heard more weeping, from many men and women huddled together in the near dark, the way barely lit by fiery torches. Harker felt like he'd stepped into a full on horror movie. Humans, dozens of them, were locked together in cells. Their bodies were covered in fang marks. They were little more than food for the vampires above. He was tossed in an empty cell at the end of the block and left alone. He had time now, to think. It would be many hours before Celeste, Nikolai and the others arrived. He'd have to think of a way to free himself as well as find Mina. If he could, he'd get the others humans out too.

"Johnny?" came her voice, pitiful and weak, barely above a whisper.

"Mina!" he practically shouted back, his eyes scanning the darkness for her. Very much like a cat's, her eyes caught the flame of one of the torches. She was in the cell across from him, and like him, alone. He clamoured to the bars and stretched his arm out to her. She reached for him too, but the distance between them didn't allow them to touch. "Oh honey am I ever glad to see you!"

"You should not be here," she spoke, her voice full of sorrow. He saw how her borrowed clothing hung around her small frame in shreds. His stomach lurched. She'd been whipped again. "They didn't know you were with me! I thought I'd kept you safe. I'm sorry, so sorry Johnny. I've failed you again."

"If I didn't love you so much I'd be seriously angry with you for giving yourself up like you did!" He couldn't help but smile at the look on her face. She was astonished by his words. "You heard me. I love you. And they didn't catch me, I came after you. I had to, just like you thought you had to give yourself up." He looked her in the eyes and wouldn't allow her to turn away from him. "I'm Adam, aren't I? You knew it all along, that his soul... it's mine too. I'm your husband. We found each other again."

"I knew you had come back to me, from the first moment I saw you again. It was your eyes, your beautiful dark eyes. You looked at me and you couldn't do it, you couldn't kill me."

"Wha... ?"

She wiped her tears away and looked at him. "You still don't remember? You'd upset a nest of vampires and I'd been among them. I went from coven to coven, thinking that within my own kind I might find what I was searching for. You and the others started firing on us and you'd nearly destroyed them all. I hid, but you found me. Our eyes met and you held the gun at me. Then, I knew it was you and I think for a second, you did too, but the police came a moment later and you looked away, I fled."

The moment came rushing back to him in vivid recollection. He, Celeste, Andre had been killing any and all vampires they could find. They were on the hunt every night and taking out as many vamps as possible. There were warrants out for their arrests and that night the police hunted them like they hunted the vampires. Katya had said they needed to lay low for a while, until the heat was off then. He'd told her her was going out for ice cream. He remembered Andre calling at him that they had to leave, the police were coming, but he'd forgot himself for a only a few precious seconds as he'd stared into the eyes of the beautiful creature hiding in the shadows. Everything had gone to hell straight after. He'd been captured, put in handcuffs and hauled away with Andre and Celeste. In all the chaos and what followed, he had forgotten about his first meeting with Mina, but now as she recounted the tale, he remembered.

"Spent two years in prison thanks to you, honey," Harker chuckled. "Oh fuck, we're in a mess now, aren't we?" She was silent, looking bereft and stricken. He looked at her and repeated the words she knew she needed to hear. "Mina, I love you. Hold on to that, and we'll get through this."


	6. Chapter 6

I must make an adendum to my last chapter. You'll note in the following paragraph, that the chain and cross Celeste wears is gold with half the cross dipped in silver. Gold would not burn her skin, though the silver would. This is relevant to happenings in Chapter 6.

_"Of course, come with me." She put her arm around his waist and lead him behind the building and in through the back entrance. They went through the kitchen and then into the main expanse of the club, above Nikolai was sat with others of his kin. Celeste had changed since they'd last seen each other. She wore her hair loose and her body was sheathed in silk and leather, no doubt gifts from Nikolai, including the heavy gold chain around her neck from which hung a golden cross, half of which had been dipped in silver. Celeste had always kept her faith, a trait she'd inherited from their mother. He wasn't above asking for a few prayers right now. She guided him up to Nikolai and gave him a place to sit. Then Harker began his story. He left out the intimate parts of what he and Mina had shared, but he made it emphatically clear that he'd do anything to get her back. _

Chapter 6

Johnny Harker had been in some pretty impossible situations in his life, but he'd always been able to worm or fight his way out. He didn't think he'd be able to rely on his charm or his brawn in this particular instance. He'd been taken from his cell and along with some of the other humans and paraded out into the court where countless more vampires had assembled. He scanned the crowd for Celeste and Nikolai and for a moment he thought he'd been abandoned until he spotted them on the periphery. They were both fixated on him and he knew he and Mina had a chance. It was a great surprise when he observed as Nikolai was joined by Derricks. Harker caught the man's gaze and the slight nod of the head to acknowledge him. He was a vampire now, like all the others. There was a woman close to him, most likely his wife. She was beautiful, and probably worth becoming a vampire for, Harker thought to himself. Love was worth just about anything, he'd decided.

In the hours he'd had with Mina down in the cells, he'd learned the reason why they'd passed through Sector 5 unaccosted when they'd gone to salvage ammunition from his base. Pontius had deemed her under his protection as he wanted to take her for one of his brides. Mina had not known this at the time, nor had she when she'd submitted to the torture in order to procure food for him. Vampire Courts were just as foreign to her as they were to him. Though Pontius evidently had outgrown the human need to mate, he saw Mina as the perfect concubine. She was meant to join the other female vampires Pontius kept and live out eternity in servitude to him. The very idea had Harker's rage up. As far as he was concerned, Mina was still his wife, now that he knew who he'd once been.

Mina went on to explain that her protests were met with laughter and condescension. She had no choice in the matter. She learned the awful truth that the bastard who had turned her had been sired by Pontius himself and therefore, Mina was already his by blood. She'd been taken down to the dungeon and subjected to the whip at Pontius' hand until she'd gone silent, both in her screams of pain and her protests. She'd been left alone in her cell ever since. Mercifully, as Harker had hoped, the blood she'd taken from him had allowed her to heal from her ordeal. He made her a promise that once they were out of this mess, they'd spend a week in bed and he'd replace every lash of Pontius' whip with a gentle kiss.

Harker's attention was returned to Pontius as the odious creature commanded silence. The humans, of which Johnny counted twenty one, himself included, were each dragged towards a part of the great hall where there lay wooden crosses large enough to lay a man upon. It suddenly dawned on Harker that the name Pontius might hold a bit more meaning that he'd previously thought. Mina had said he was ancient. He had the sinking feeling that he wasn't going to like whatever was coming next.

He struggled futilely as he was forced to lie down upon his cross as his arms and legs were lashed to the unforgiving straights of wood. He was secured at his ankles and elbows with painfully tight bindings, but it was a mercy considering Harker had expected to have nails driven through his wrists. There was no give whatsoever and Harker felt a rush of genuine fear run through him, but he kept himself calm and focused. Truly all that mattered was Mina as far as he was concerned. He blocked out the whimpers and sobs of the other people around him and trained his eyes on the master of the bizarre gathering.

When Mina was brought out before all those gathered, practically dragged by two of Pontius' guard, Harker's blood boiled. They'd dressed her in a slinky little costume of blood red silk. Under different circumstances he'd have thought it sexy, but the way in which she cowered, trembled and could barely hold back her tears banished such thoughts from Harker's mind entirely. She was a Victorian lady and hers sensibilities remained the same as when she'd been human. He knew she must've felt horribly exposed and vulnerable. She searched for him and when their eyes finally settled upon each other, a single tear escaped the corner of her eye and streamed down her cheek.

Mina hugged her arms around herself and kept her head down while she was made to stand at Pontius' side as he took his seat upon his thrown. Next, his other 'brides' filed into the room, all dressed similarly to Mina in their skimpy outfits. For a guy who Mina claimed didn't crave sex, he certainly looked like a vamp that was compensating for something. All together there were four women flanking Pontius to his right while Mina stood to his left, her eyes fixated upon Harker. Two large male vampires stood in close proximity to her, keeping her caged in.

Harker suppressed the ache in his heart and the rage coursing through him. He had to trust in Celeste and the others to save them. When it was all over, he was going to take Mina away from Bucharest and away from everyone and everything that had ever hurt her. He was going to protect and cherish her and never let her feel the fear and humiliation she must be feeling now.

The same vampires that had affixed all the human prisoners to their crosses next secured heavy chains to the ends of each cross at the feet. With a single command the slack on the chains began to tighten, turned by an unseen forces, and one by one they were each raised from the ground to become a macabre hanging garden of condemned souls.

As the blood rushed to his head, Harker trained his eyes back to Mina. Her hands covered her mouth and her entire body shook. He told himself to be patient, even as the first sacrifice was made to begin the evening's proceedings. A man not too much older than Harker himself had his wrists and then his throat slit. As blood poured from the wounds, several vampires went to stand beneath him with goblets, catching up the blood and gluttonously drinking it down.

With a nod from Pontius, they moved to Harker and just as the blade touched his skin a shrill scream of "No!" exploded in the hall. The voice had been Mina's and while he understood her reaction, she'd just given him away.

"As I suspected," Pontius declared, followed by maniacal laughter, turning his attention to Mina. "This is the human for whom you sought food." Pontius rose and stretched out a bony finger n Harker's direction. "I wonder, child, what you would do to save him from the fate of all these others? Would you take your vows, become solely mine for eternity? Or would you prefer to welcome death as I hasten his?" Torn between telling the truth and guessing whatever the right answer may be to save Harker, Mina could conjure no words. "Speak now, or watch him die."

As tears burst from her eyes, Mina was allowed two steps forward and she looked to Harker for the answer that would save or condemn them both.

"Don't you dare give in, honey," Harker spoke vehemently. There was an echo inside his head to his words, a feeling of deja vu, as if he'd spoken them to her before. Mina looked stricken, but she nodded accordance with his command.

"Brave words from a dead man," Pontius mocked. Harker's left wrist was sliced with the blade and he broke out in a sweat as he held back his cry of pain. Mina vocalized well enough for both of them. Blood streamed down his wrist and dripped off his fingertips. He felt a great pressure in his head as his blood quickly ebbed from his body. The first killing had been for show, Pontius did not want Harker and the others to die so quickly. He wanted to savour their deaths and watch the hope fade from their eyes. He wanted relish the moment when they realized they were about to die. One by one the other humans were cut open at their wrists. The vampires feasted on their blood. Mina cried Harker's name and fought violently against those who held her firm in their grips and prevented her from coming to his rescue.

As the other vampires gorged themselves on fresh blood, Celeste, Nikolai and Derricks sprang into action. They, and others descended from Anghel drew out their weapons - guns with mercury tipped bullets, daggers, and even swords. Harker wasn't concerning himself with the politics of vamps turning on each other, he just wanted to get free and to Mina.

Celeste got to him moments after the fighting began, slicing through his bindings, letting his arms free. "Get to Mina, help her, Celeste," Harked begged, as he took out his old bandana from the pocket in his vest and wrapped it around his bleeding wrist tightly to try and subdue the flow.

"Johnny, you're bleeding out..." Celeste cautioned.

"I'll be fine! Help her!"

Celeste pressed her blade into his hand and turned, moving in a blur to where Mina was being dragged away as Pontius made his escape, his brides and guards in tow. Harker feared that if they got deep enough into the underground of Bucharest he'd never find her. His vision blurred and it was all he could do to keep his eyes on her as she got further and further away. With the last of his strength he flung his body upwards and slashed at his ankles, only managing to cut some of the chords that bound him. He dropped, limp and woozy. He continued to work his feet, trying to break the threads he'd managed to fray. He fought and struggled when finally he got them loose and then they snapped. He fell to the ground in a heap. All around him was bloodshed and chaos, but Harker's sole focus was clamouring towards his love.

He saw as Celeste reached out for Mina before his sister was violently knocked aside by Pontius' guard. Mina's hand had closed around the cross that hung from Celeste's neck. The chain broke and went with Mina as she was pulled into the darkness. Harker joined her shortly there after as the blood loss, his latent injuries and pure exhaustion overcame him and he passed out.

!*!*!

He was naked. That was promising. He was in a bed, which was also positive. He was in a certain degree of pain, which sadly, was normal. He felt the back of a cool hand graze his cheek and he smiled, recognizing the touch.

"Mina..." he sighed, waking fully and opening his eyes. She was sat beside him, one clothed arm laid protectively across his middle and her hand cupping his cheek. She smiled at him, her grin so full and bright he returned it in kind. "Are you ever a sight for sore eyes, honey."

She looked completely radiant in her gown of green velvet so dark it was nearly black. The sleeves were long and the bodice hugged her delicate curves. The neck scooped low and the swell of her breasts were visible and enticing to Harker's gaze. The gown fanned out in a beautiful array and touched the floor. In contrast to her red hair it looked as if she were wearing a cloak of pure night. There were dozens of candles a light all around them. They weren't under Mina's church, but they were together and that was all that mattered. His hand reached for hers and she linked their fingers together, bringing his to her lips to kiss.

"Nice dress," Harker laughed, giving a tug to her arm and bringing her closer. They kissed, soft and slow with tongues caressing and stroking as they savoured each other. The drew apart and Mina stayed near, running her fingers through his hair and she continued to lavish her caresses upon him.

"It was a gift from Nikolai," she spoke finally. "We're in part of Anghel's private quarters. No one shall disturb us. I'll fetch you food and water when you have need of it."

"Just need you." His hand came up to cup her breast and she swatted it away.

"You're in no condition to have me, Harker."

"Johnny," he corrected and she nodded in agreement. "Wanna tell me how we got here?"

"I will." She leaned in and kissed him again, her tongue delving deep into his mouth for a scorching kiss that left his entire body warm and aroused. "Pontius forced me deep into the catacombs, his ire great. He had venom in his eyes and I was to be the recipient of all his anger over the failure of his plans. He had me alone and..." Her voice trailed off and shiver ran through her. Harker caressed her chest, neck and face, comforting her as she regained her voice. "I knew that you were dying, Johnny, and he was keeping me from you. I still had your sister's cross in my hand, and its heavy chain. I plunged the silver tip into his throat and wrapped the chain around his neck. I tightened the noose as all my strength would allow. Eventually, I managed..."

"Managed to what?"

"To take his head off."

His eyes widened in shock and she looked away from him, suddenly coy. He cupped her cheek and turned her back to look at him. "You took his head off? My little Mina?"

"I am yours, Johnny, but need I remind you that I am far stronger and swifter than you. He was ancient and powerful, but the silver burned him and I killed him, all so that I could return to you. It was I who stopped the blood flowing from your wrist and I who sealed your wound. Nikolai insisted we bring you here so you could rest and heal. Your sister is eager to visit, as is your friend Derricks."

"In a bit, but first... give me your hand?" He still had her rings around his neck and he took them from their chain. He fit the smaller band upon the appropriate finger on her left hand. Tears came to her eyes as he placed the ring that she'd not worn for more than a century back in its rightful place. He turned her palm over and deposited the larger ring there, then offered her his left hand. He had to admit, that as she eased the ring onto his finger and found it fit perfectly, he didn't mind her seeing him cry just as much as she was.

Mina lay her hands on his bare chest and kissed him passionately, laughing, crying and sighing his name throughout.

"Sorry it took a hundred years to get back to yah, honey," Harker whispered.

Mina smiled and looked deep into his dark eyes. "You were worth it. I'd have waited thousands."

!*!*!

Mina knew she could be brave when needed. She had surrendered herself to Pontius' henchmen when they'd come for her, all to save her beloved Johnny. She'd fought and vanquished one of the world's oldest and most powerful vampires in order to get back to her man. When she'd been freed of her captivity after a century, she'd had to maneuver and survive in a very changed world. She'd done it all. She had strength. However, now a year after being reunited with her soulmate, she found that she was warring with herself. She hated being in this place, the decrepit, abandoned old church in the wilds of Dartmoor. This church held nothing but evil memories for her. She'd witnessed her husband's murder here, and met her own demise and turning.

Her entire body quaked with fear and she was on the verge of tears, but she had to be brave, as Johnny had asked. When the moon was at its zenith, he appeared. He looked very much as Pontius had - monstrous and inhuman. Demitrius had grown even more gruesome in the century since she'd last seen him. The rumours amongst the neighbouring villages that a vampire still dwelt upon the bleak, cold moors were true. He hunted and fed on the unfortunates that were caught out after dark. He was a living specter that haunted the land. All attempts to be rid of him had failed and resulted in more deaths.

Mina felt her heart leap into her throat as he approached, his bony hand with its yellowed long nails twitching and eager to touch her. She quaked, remembering his fangs tearing into her throat, her clamouring across the floor to reach her love as the last vestiges of his life left him, and she remembered being dragged away and pulled under the vile creature as he forced his blood into her mouth and down her throat.

She staggered backward and nearly fell over. She gripped the edge of one of the pews and summoned all her courage to remain still and wait for him to get closer.

"My darling, my Queen!" The words fell from Demitrius' thin lips like snakes slithering between stones. "Long have I awaited your return. I knew you could not deny me forever, my precious, you belong to me, my Athanasia!"

Mina whimpered and felt the fear from when she'd last been in Demitrius' presence overwhelm her, but it was all for naught. Her beloved, her Johnny, was there a split second later with both barrels of his Desert Eagles pointed to the vile creature's head. Harker spared a quick glance to her and winked, his eyes the same as hers now and the golden band on his finger glinting in the pale moonlight.

"Her name's Mina Harker, you son of a bitch!" seethed Harker, and with that final word, he pulled the triggers.

The End.

Epilogue to follow.


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue

Thirty-seven years as a vampire, and thirty-eight as a married man had taught Johnny Harker many lessons. The primary of which was to trust his woman and listen to her advice when she gave it.

They'd stayed in Bucharest for six whole weeks, until he was completely recovered from all his injuries. Mina had insisted and he'd obeyed. The fact that she was his nursemaid had definitely aided in keeping him temperate and bidable. He'd been good, and waited four entire days before demanding, with mirth, that she make love with him. He took the time to properly say goodbye to his sister, uncertain if they'd ever cross each other's paths again. He'd thanked Nikolai for his hospitality, and threatened him if he didn't take care of Celeste. He and Derricks had a moment, Harker with a bottle of beer and the former police officer a half-pint of black market O-Negative that Nikolai had procured and ensured was free of any contamination. Their parting words consisted of Harker asking, "Vampires can still get erections right?" and Derricks merely laughing in reply. If he was going to give Mina forever, Harker knew he had to start thinking about what that really meant for him.

He'd sold his shares in Sanguitech shortly before the scandal of Kovacs and the tainted synthetic blood was made publicly known. He and Mina had lived off the money for the next year. After a decade of essentially being at war, it was a strange and difficult adjustment to have moved on to a new chapter in his life. He and Mina never fought, but he was constantly restless while she was patient. She could distract him for weeks at a time, they would travel to a new place and explore it together, while endlessly indulging in their requited love. Harker learned there were vampires everywhere, and that they had insinuated themselves into all walks of life all over Europe. It wouldn't be long before the human beings would be forced to recognize that they were now one of two dominant species on Earth. If both sides didn't learn to work and live together, it could become a global catastrophe.

The state of the world was not, however, Harker's prevailing thought in the year that followed Bucharest. The vast majority of the time he set it aside and concentrated on Mina. Being as he was human, he was often in danger from other vampires, and with Mina being a vampire, she was often in danger from other humans. They kept to themselves as much as possible, often travelled by night and usually by train to be permitted privacy. He fed her his own blood. It was a good thing they were in love and committed to each other, because Harker found himself completely addicted to the sensation of having her sharp little fangs pierce his flesh - just about anywhere on his body. He was consumed by his passion for her and her vital need for him, his love and the protection he offered her. She in turn protected him with just as much conviction. They were soulmates and they both took solace in knowing even death and centuries couldn't keep them apart.

It was one year after Bucharest that Harker settled the question he'd been posing to himself on a daily basis. Could he give up his human state and become a vampire? He knew that it would create a great many difficulties in their lives - primarily with having to find a source of blood to feed them both. Where there was a will, there was a way, he surmised, and giving Mina forever was worth it. She was reluctant and nervous at the prospect. She told him that she would miss his dark eyes and the warmth of his body too much. With his assurances that it would only enhance what they shared rather than create a divide between them, she agreed. The prospect of centuries together, and to never lose him to old age or malady also secured Mina's willingness.

The exchange of blood occurred during one of their more passionate couplings. Mina had been determined to make his last night as a human a memorable one. She paid due attention to every part of his body, bringing him to orgasm more than once before the last time when at the peak of ecstasy, she sunk her fangs into his throat and drank long and deep. He laid in their bed, soporific and satiated and she'd pressed the opened vein on her wrist to his lips. He accepted her blood without hesitation. The change came over him quickly and Mina watched the dark of his eyes be chased away by icy blue. She'd cried then and he held her, whispering in her ear how warm she felt to him now and how they would be together for eternity. He made love to her again, quite appreciative of the fact that vampires could indeed still get erections.

Shortly after Harker's turning, he asked Mina if she wanted to return to England. It was true that she longed return home to the beauty of Yorkshire, but England held so many dark memories that she admitted she was scared. Harker held her close and spoke quietly of his vision for their future as well as his desire to put right all the tragedies that had befallen her. He wanted to give her peace and knew that she had not yet let go of her past, despite the fact that he had returned to her.

The first thing Harker wanted to do, was rid the world of the monster that had murdered his previous incarnation and caused the death of his and Mina's child. He knew he was asking a lot of his Mina, but he promised that he would not fail her. After Harker had filled Demitrius' head full of mercury tipped bullets, he spat on the dead vampire's ashes and crushed his skull under his boot. When it was over, he held Mina as she sobbed, purging herself of a century of fear and hatred. He knew it would not be the last time he held her in his arms as she wept. They had another wrong to make right.

In the century since they'd buried their son, an oak had seen fit to grow over top his grave. It had been Harker's intent to put a headstone in the spot in the churchyard where the newborn had been buried, but when they came to the spot, Mina had seen the tree, tall and strong and found herself smiling as the tears streamed down her cheeks. She knelt at its roots and kissed its trunk in reverence. After more than a century, Mina finally had joy in her heart where previously she'd only the quiet of their son's one and only breath. Harker knelt beside her and placed his hand on the oak with hers and for a moment he remembered a time when they'd been full of hope and love for their unborn son, and his fate had not yet been decided. Mina turned to him and they embraced. Knowing in their hearts the little boy was at peace, they could leave and feel better for having honoured him and said their final goodbye.

Harker reflected back to their first few years together and how much the world had changed since then. They'd settled in their own little corner of Yorkshire and the reality of vampires in the world became internationally known. There was much strife and he and Mina kept themselves scarce, resulting to stealing human blood from hospitals and accepting animal blood from the local butcher, who took kindly to Mina because she reminded him of the daughter he'd lost. After a few more years it became necessary for governments to establish ways of keeping their citizens peaceable when it came to the vampires in their midst. Liaisons, branches of the police and local groups came together, using the failure of what happened in Bucharest as an example of how not to proceed. It was Harker who inevitably took the reigns in Yorkshire, and eventually the whole country. It hadn't been easy, and Mina had suffered a few sleepless stretches when he'd been on assignment, but in the long run, vampires and humans found a way to live together.

The years stretched on and though Harker and Mina continued to love and cherish each other, it became apparent that happily ever after was never going to be perfect. One thing was missing.

However, a few years later, hope came back into her world again, and therefore his too. It was a team of British scientists that found what was essentially a 'cure' for vampirism. The condition was, after all, virulent in nature. There was doubt and apprehension among the vampire community, especially after the horrid failure that was the Sanguitech solution in the synthetic blood. A few vampires were desperate enough to return to their human state that they readily volunteered for the test groups. After a few more years, the trials were over, the vaccine patented and soon readily available to be administered.

The transformation for the vampires to their previous state of human being was not complete and absolute. They retained some aspect of their vampiric state, including the ability to heal quickly and have an extended period of life. Their metabolisms remained hyper effective, as did their senses. They were a breed apart, a human enhanced. Soon, vampire's blood was being used to cure terminal illness. A person would be turned, then shortly there after be turned back - cured of their ailment and left better than when they'd started. It was controversial and the media storm surrounding the issues were always a hot topic.

Harker knew that Mina could only resist the promise of humanity for so long and at length, he could not deny her. Now, two years later, he didn't regret a thing. Not when becoming this new sort of human had given them such absolute joy.

He watched his wife from his vantage point under another old oak, this one in the corner of their vast garden. Over the years he'd managed to give her a beautiful home, and they had enough funds in the bank to last them what he hoped was a very long life together. He looked towards her, and her shoulder length red hair being caught up by the breeze with its soft waves and beautiful sheen in the sunlight. He smiled to himself. She was alive and radiant and her heart beat strong and full. She laughed and swayed in the glory of summer with their newborn son in her arms.

He was only five weeks old, their healthy and robust baby boy, and Mina loved him with such passion and purity that Harker felt quite humbled in its presence. The baby stretched his arms up to her face and she kissed each of his fingertips and laughed through her tears. She kissed the tip of his nose and the crown of his head, inhaling his scent and caressing the down of his fine, dark hair with her cheek. Their son cooed and snuggled against his mother, knowing only that he was loved and protected.

Harker called to her and she moved swiftly in his direction. With their beautiful son wrapped up in his blanket, Mina settled herself in her husband's lap and together they gazed upon their creation. The little boy's eyes opened, shaded by the oak's lush leaves. His eyes were already dark like his father's and Harker looked to Mina's and the deep, bright blue he'd seen once long ago in a memory disguised as a dream. They shared a kiss, then Mina held their boy up for his father and Harker kissed him too.

Just like always, she lay her head to his heart, and she then laid their son's to hers. Harker held them both and closed his eyes. He remembered the taste of Mina's blood in his mouth and how he'd welcomed forever with her. He knew now that their forever was not meant to be years together in the dark. Their forever lived in the little life nestled between them.


End file.
